The Coalition on State and Local Pension and Benefit Issues has asked Congress to provide municipalities with more time to comply with a law protecting older workers' benefits because it says the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has failed to provide needed assistance.
The Older Workers' Benefit Protection Act of 1990 prohibits age discrimination in employee benefits, but gave state and local governments two years for compliance. During that two years, the federal equal employment commission was supposed to provide guidance so public pension plan managers would know exactly what, if any, benefit changes they were required to make.
"Unfortunately, the EEOC has yet to provide any satisfactory assistance to help state and local governments comply with the" law, coalition members said in a letter to lawmakers.
"With little more than two months before the law is to take effect for state and local governments, we find ourselves with nothing more than unofficial, non-binding responses from commission staff," the coalition wrote. "If state and local governments are to be able to make a sincere effort to comply, it is imperative that clear, concise, and timely guidance be provided."
The coalition is made up of the Government Finance Officers Association, National Association of State Treasurers, National League of Cities, National Association of State Budget Officers, National Conference of State Legislatures, and other groups representing municipal interests.
