THOMPSON, FONG'S CLERGY ACT BECOMES LAW

Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) and Rep. Vince Fong's (R-CA-20) announced their bipartisan Clergy Act was signed into law. Thompson successfully passed the Clergy Act through the House of Representatives earlier this year, after securing unanimous support in House Ways and Means Committee. The Clergy Act establishes a one-time re-enrollment window for pastors and other clergy members who previously opted out of Social Security to voluntarily opt back in and begin contributing to their financial futures.

"Faith leaders play a critical role in supporting our communities - offering them the flexibility to opt in to Social Security as they plan for retirement just makes sense. I'm glad to have co-led this bipartisan effort with Rep. Fong and I am proud that our bill was signed into law," said Thompson.

BACKGROUND

The Clergy Act establishes a one-time re-enrollment window for clergy members who previously opted out of Social Security, many in their youth, to voluntarily opt back in. Some of our faith leaders opted out decades ago, often due to inaccurate advice or conscientious objection, only to later face significant financial hardship. Under previous law, this opt-out was permanent. For clergy who have spent their lives serving their communities and congregations, this legislation restores the freedom to secure basic financial protection in retirement.

The Clergy Act creates a two-year window - covering taxable years beginning January 1, 2028, and January 1, 2029 - for eligible clergy members who previously opted out of Social Security to revoke their exemption and begin contributing. Importantly, this legislation does not modify existing Social Security regulations. Eligible clergy must still meet the standard 10-year contribution requirement to earn full retired-worker benefits, receiving benefits proportional to their contributions. The bill also requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration to submit a plan to Congress outlining their strategy to inform clergy members of their eligibility to re-enroll. Historically, Congress has approved limited re-enrollment windows, including in 1999 under the Ticket to Work Act.

The Clergy Act is supported by a broad coalition of faith-based and retirement security organizations, including the National Association of Evangelicals, Church Alliance, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), GuideStone Financial Resources, and Lancaster Baptist Church.