A Democratic bill with 11 Democratic cosponsors · See all 12 cosponsors
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
The Women's Retirement Protection Act aims to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase spousal protections for defined contribution plans. The bill requires participants to obtain written spousal consent for distributions or changes to beneficiaries in many instances. Additionally, it mandates that financial product providers include links to consumer awareness information from the CFPB. The legislation also authorizes competitive grants to improve financial literacy for women and to assist low-income women and domestic violence survivors in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +9
Would women be better off under this?
The bill is designed to address systemic disparities in women's retirement preparedness and security.
- Scored +8
Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated?
The bill specifically targets women's retirement security through spousal protections and literacy grants.
- Scored +6
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
The bill enhances retirement security for women, which includes seniors.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill introduces new administrative requirements for retirement plan providers.
- Scored -2
Would men be better off under this?
Spouses may face new restrictions on their ability to access or change retirement accounts independently.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Spousal Protection: The bill requires that, in most cases, a spouse must provide written consent before a participant can make a distribution or change a beneficiary under an individual account plan (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Enhanced Consumer Information: Financial product or service providers must provide an easily accessible link to the CFPB website, allowing consumers to access resources regarding retirement planning and economic security (Section 5(b)).
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Improved Financial Literacy for Women: Through competitive grants, community-based organizations can develop programs to increase women's knowledge of retirement planning and personal financial concepts (Section 6(a) and 6(e)).
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Legal Assistance for Vulnerable Women: Grants are authorized to help low-income women and survivors of domestic violence prepare, obtain, and effectuate qualified domestic relations orders to ensure they receive the benefits they are entitled to (Section 7(a) and 7(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Account Access: Participants in individual account plans may face limitations on making distributions or changing beneficiaries without first obtaining written consent from a spouse, which must be witnessed by a plan representative or a notary public (Section 3(a)(1) and 3(e)(1)).
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Administrative Exceptions and Conditions: The requirement for spousal consent does not apply if a participant can establish that a spouse cannot be located or under other circumstances prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury (Section 3(e)(2)).
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 women be better off under this? — The bill is designed to address systemic disparities in women's retirement preparedness and security. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill enhances retirement security for women, which includes seniors. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Grants are specifically authorized to assist low-income women with legal orders. Would retired people be better off under this? — The bill enhances protections for spouses within retirement plans. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increased spousal consent requirements may provide more stability for middle-income family assets. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill introduces new administrative requirements for retirement plan providers. Would men be better off under this? — Spouses may face new restrictions on their ability to access or change retirement accounts independently.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill specifically targets women's retirement security through spousal protections and literacy grants. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Grants for low-income women to access domestic relations orders can help mitigate poverty risks.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer protection by requiring links to CFPB resources and providing grants for financial literacy.
- 3/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/12/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 11 Cosponsors 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.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Maria CantwellDemocrat · Washington
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts