A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Congressional Pension Accountability Act aims to strip pension benefits from Members of Congress who are expelled or resign due to misconduct. If a Member is expelled, their service will no longer count toward eligibility for an annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System. This also applies to Members who resign after an ethics committee adopts a Statement of Alleged Violation regarding a violation of official conduct or law. For those under the FERS system, government contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan will also be forfeited. The act ensures that presidential pardons do not restore these forfeited annuities.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill increases accountability for Congressional members regarding ethical misconduct.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill removes the impact of presidential pardons on the forfeiture of pension benefits.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Accountability for Misconduct: Under Section 2(a), service performed by a Member will be noncreditable for annuity eligibility if they are expelled or resign following an ethics determination of substantial reason to believe a violation of conduct or law occurred.
-
Lump-Sum Credit Refunds: Under Section 2(a)(b) for CSRS and Section 2(b)(b) for FERS, if a Member's service becomes noncreditable, they can apply to receive the portion of their lump-sum credit attributable to that service (minus any previous payments or refunds).
-
Protection of Previous Payments: Under Section 2(a)(c) for CSRS and Section 2(b)(c) for FERS, individuals are not required to repay any part of an annuity that was properly paid to them before the date of their expulsion.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Loss of Retirement Eligibility and Amounts: Under Section 2(a)(1) for CSRS and Section 2(b)(1) for FERS, an individual's previous service may no longer count toward determining eligibility for an annuity or the amount of an annuity that would otherwise be payable.
-
Forfeiture of Government Contributions: Under Section 2(b)(d), individuals under the FERS system will lose all government contributions made to their Thrift Savings Plan during their service, as well as any earnings from those contributions.
-
Pardon Ineffectiveness: Under Section 2(a)(e) for CSRS and Section 2(b)(f) for FERS, even if a President issues a pardon or commutes a criminal sentence, it will not restore the forfeited annuity to the individual.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases accountability for Congressional members regarding ethical misconduct. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill removes the impact of presidential pardons on the forfeiture of pension benefits.
- 9/3/2026
- Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Angie CraigDemocrat · Minnesota
Young KimRepublican · California
Chris PappasDemocrat · New Hampshire