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AARP Washington is
championing a bill to require employers that do not offer retirement plans to
make an “automatic enrollment” Individual Retirement Account available to their
workers.
House Bill 2516, the
“Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program,” was pending in the House of
Representatives in mid-February.
AARP says the bill is
a necessary antidote to a retirement crisis that leaves employees of some small
businesses without a way to save for retirement.
According to AARP,
more than 1.1 million Washingtonians work for an employer that does not offer a
retirement savings plan, or 45 percent of private-sector employees. Small
businesses are less likely to offer plans, AARP said.
The bill, sponsored by
Rep. Davina Duerr, D-Bothell, would facilitate voluntary retirement savings by
workers by establishing an IRA savings program with automatic enrollment and
requiring employers that do not offer retirement plans to make it available to
their workers.
“Large numbers of
households in this state have no or inadequate retirement savings and many of
those households do not have access to any savings plan at work,” the bill
reads, adding that the problem will challenge state budgets.
“Washington state is
deeply concerned about the retirement prospects of its citizens and the strain
that large numbers of ill-prepared retirees may impose on taxpayer-financed
elderly assistance program for housing, food, medical care and other
necessities.”
AARP said 91 percent
of workers who don’t have access to a retirement plan say they would take
advantage of one if it were available.
“Washingtonians are
working as hard as ever, but many do not have a way to save for retirement out
of their regular paycheck,” said Cathy MacCaul, AARP’s advocacy director in
Washington, in a release.
The bill was pending
in the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business.
A video of an executive committee hearing is posted at tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2020021106.