Sponsors (8)
Official title: To amend title 5, United States Code, to deny Federal retirement benefits to Members of Congress convicted of sexual offenses, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 19, 2026 by Nicole Malliotakis · Last progress May 19, 2026
The bill redirects retirement pay from convicted Members toward restitution and protects taxpayer funds, but it can impose financial hardship on families, raise due‑process concerns for foreign convictions, and add administrative complexity.
Taxpayers are less likely to pay retirement annuities to Members of Congress convicted of specified sexual and related crimes because those benefits can be withheld.
Victims can receive court-ordered restitution from withheld annuity or retired pay, allowing compensation without separate government outlays.
Federal employees and the public benefit from procedural safeguards because the Attorney General must notify the relevant retirement authority and judicial review is available for benefit-denial decisions.
Convicted Members of Congress and their survivors/dependents may lose retirement income and face financial hardship when annuities or retired pay are withheld.
Federal employees risk wrongful loss of benefits when denials are based on foreign convictions certified by the Attorney General, because foreign procedures may differ and raise due-process concerns.
Withholding benefits to satisfy restitution can reduce funds otherwise available to dependents and may create administrative burdens or delays for victims and agencies trying to collect restitution.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Stops annuity/retired pay for current or former Members of Congress convicted of certain sexual and related offenses, allows withheld amounts to satisfy victim restitution, and updates refund interest rules.
Prevents current or former Members of Congress and their survivors from receiving federal annuity or retired pay if they are convicted of certain sexual and related federal offenses or if they evade prosecution by staying abroad. It also lets the Attorney General notify agencies to stop payments, allows courts to review foreign-conviction certifications, and permits agencies to pay court-ordered restitution or garnishments to victims from withheld amounts. Also makes technical changes to the civil service refund rule so interest stops accruing on contribution refunds for periods after a qualifying conviction, and updates the statute table to add the new provision.