Christopher Coons (D-DE)
Railroad Retirement Fairness Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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
This bill is titled the Railroad Retirement Fairness Act of 2026. It aims to amend the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974. The specific purpose is to eliminate certain deductions for annuities under that Act. This is achieved by striking subdivision (6) of Section 2(f) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974.
Yes
- Scored +2
Does this raise taxes on the highest earners?
The elimination of deductions for annuities may increase the effective tax burden on high-earning annuity recipients.
The opposite· 3 of 5
- Scored -5
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The removal of deductions for annuities directly reduces the net financial benefit available to retirees.
- Scored -5
Would retired people be better off under this?
The elimination of specific annuity deductions decreases the financial stability of retired railroad workers.
- Scored -3
Does this strengthen Social Security?
The bill negatively impacts the retirement security of those relying on the Railroad Retirement system by removing specific annuity deductions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- There are no specific positive impacts or benefits described within the text of this bill.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The bill proposes to eliminate certain deductions for annuities by striking subdivision (6) of Section 2(f) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, which may result in the loss of current deductions for annuity recipients.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would retired people be better off under this? — The elimination of specific annuity deductions decreases the financial stability of retired railroad workers. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The removal of deductions for annuities directly reduces the net financial benefit available to retirees. Would high-income households be better off under this? — The removal of annuity deductions may negatively impact the net income of higher-earning individuals receiving these benefits.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this strengthen Social Security? — The bill negatively impacts the retirement security of those relying on the Railroad Retirement system by removing specific annuity deductions.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this raise taxes on the highest earners? — The elimination of deductions for annuities may increase the effective tax burden on high-earning annuity recipients. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — By eliminating deductions, the bill could potentially increase government outlays or reduce net revenue depending on the tax accounting of the annuity strike.
- 4/21/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Josh HawleyRepublican · Missouri