Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Penn.-15) today introduced a bipartisan bill to help American workers take advantage of their employer-sponsored retirement plans and employer match offers by permitting more frequent opportunities for employees to opt in.
“Too many Americans struggle to build the retirement savings they will need after decades of hard work. It doesn’t have to be this way,” said Vindman. “The Auto Reenroll Act gives workers a simple, commonsense solution for flexibility with their retirement plan options. By encouraging reenrollment every few years, we will help more families stay on track financially and give people more power over the money they’ve earned.”
“While automatic enrollment has helped many Americans start saving for retirement, a significant number of workers still initially choose to opt-out of their employer-sponsored retirement plans or fail to maximize matching contributions,” said Thompson. “I am proud to work with Rep. Vindman, Senator Cassidy, and Senator Kaine to make this simple, no-cost reform that gives employees more frequent chances to opt into their plans and take advantage of their full retirement benefits, which will provide greater financial stability and peace of mind to workers and their families.”
The Auto Reenroll Act would allow employers to automatically re-enroll workers in their 401(k) plans every one to three years. This provision is designed to help increase employee participation in workplace retirement plans by giving workers who previously opted out another chance to save for retirement. The process would preserve individual choice — employees could opt out again if they choose — and aims to expand retirement savings without imposing new mandates on workers or creating additional government spending.
Specifically, the Auto Reenroll Act would allow employers to:
- Automatically reenroll employees in 401(k) or similar retirement plans every one to three years, even if they had previously opted out.
- Preserve employee choice, allowing anyone who is reenrolled to opt out again if they choose.
- Encourage long-term savings, by giving workers periodic “check-ins” to reconsider their retirement options as their incomes and circumstances evolve.
The legislation is endorsed by the Bipartisan Policy Center and TIAA Retirement Solutions.
“Saving for retirement should be simple and, whenever possible, automatic,” said Michele Stockwell, president of BPC Action. “That idea underpins the bipartisan progress Congress has made over the past decade to expand retirement savings participation. BPC Action commends Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) for taking automatic enrollment one step further, helping employers to bring even more workers into their retirement plans.”
“The Auto Reenroll Act is a helpful clarification of present law and, if passed, could spur more employers to adopt auto reenrollment in their defined contribution retirement plans. This no-cost reform would serve as an effective tool to reengage employees, especially younger and lower-paid workers, who have previously opted out of enrollment or have stopped contributing to their plans,” said Kourtney Gibson, CEO, TIAA Retirement Solutions. “By giving workers periodic opportunities to reconsider their retirement options as their incomes and circumstances evolve, while preserving individual choice through the ability to opt out again, this legislation helps more American workers stay on track financially and build the savings they need for a secure retirement.”
Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La).
BACKGROUND
Under existing law, employers are already required to provide employees with between one and three months’ notice of any automatic 401(k) contributions, this bill maintains that requirement while expanding the ability to reenroll.
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