Religion

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Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 28 April 2026

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 350 to 5 to pass H.R. 227, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Rep. Vince Fong’s (CA-20) bipartisan Clergy Act, a major step forward in giving pastors and clergy members greater retirement security. 

“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 co-lead this bipartisan effort with Rep. Fong and I look forward to continuing our work to pass this into law,” said Rep. Thompson.

“We know our faith leaders are the backbone of our communities, guiding moral and spiritual life across the Central Valley and our entire nation,” said Rep. Fong. “The Clergy Act gives them the freedom to temporarily re-enroll in Social Security if they previously opted out, empowering them to take greater control of their financial future. I’m thrilled this bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly.”

The Clergy Act would establish 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 current law, this opt-out is 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 System 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 of Financial Accountability, GuideStone Financial Resources and Lancaster Baptist Church.

Now, the bill is ready to be considered by and voted on the Senate floor. Rep. Thompson will continue to work to urge Senate leadership to bring the bill up for a vote.