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First Responder Fair RETIRE Act

Public Law 117-225 · H.R. 521 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 9, 2022 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA-11)

Cosponsors (26): Rep. Jim Langevin,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 417 yea, 0 nay417–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

First Responder Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned Act or the First Responder Fair RETIRE Act

This act allows disabled federal first responders (e.g., law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, and firefighters) to continue receiving federal retirement benefits in the same manner as though they had not been disabled.

Under current law, federal first responders are subject to a mandatory retirement age of 57. To facilitate this earlier retirement, federal first responders are required to pay a greater percentage of their salary towards retirement. Additionally, their annuity amount is calculated at a higher rate than other federal employees.

This act allows a federal first responder to remain in the accelerated retirement system if they are placed in another civil service position outside of that system after returning to work from a work-related injury or illness. Further, if such an employee is separated from service before they are entitled to receive an annuity, they may receive a refund of their accelerated contributions.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 417 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

417 yea0 nay13 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(213)

Republicans who voted yea(204)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 748 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 129Related bill

    First Responder Fair RETIRE Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Dec 9, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-225.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 2, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 25, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 17, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Sep 28, 2022CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 515.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Peters without amendment. With written report No. 117-173.
  8. Aug 3, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  9. Jul 13, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  10. Jul 12, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 0 (Roll no. 301).House roll call 301
  12. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  13. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  14. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 521.
  15. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  16. FloorFloor · Mrs. Maloney, Carolyn B. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  17. May 11, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. Jan 28, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdict…
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.