State Rep. Dan Deasy, D-Allegheny, introduced a bill that would provide a cost-of-living increase to retired public school teachers and state workers, who have not received the adjustment in 20 years.
Teachers and state workers who retired before 2001 would receive incremental increases if House Bill 1415 is passed into law.
Workers who’ve been retired the longest would get the largest increase. Deasy said there is support for the law on both sides of the aisle for the bill, which was introduced on June 14.
The bill has more than 40 co-sponsors.
“We have a number of Republican supporters,” Deasy said.
Most of the people who would be impacted by the bill are over the age of 80, Deasy said, and living on pensions between $20,000 to $9,000 annually. Enhancements to teacher pension funds were passed by Act 9 in 2001, but people who retired prior to the passage have not benefited.
“I think a lot of people understand the issues. I think a lot of people get it,” Deasy said.
Money for the bill would come from the $8 billion budget surplus, Deasy said.