Skip to main content
HR 5543 110th Congress House

Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008

Official title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 23, 2008 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment AnnuitiesCaregiversCommerceConsumer protection
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
CounselingDisability insuranceDisabledDivorceEconomics and Public FinanceExcise taxFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorFinancial planningGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment publicationsGrants-in-aidHealthHealth insuranceIncome taxIndividual retirement accountsInsurance premiumsLong-term care insuranceMarried peopleOld age, survivors and disability insurancePart-time employmentPayroll deductionsRailroad retirement plansSelf-employedSeparation (Law)Small businessSocial WelfareStandardsSurvivors' benefitsTax creditsTax deductionsTax exclusionTax exemptionTax penaltiesTax preparersTax refundsTax-deferred compensation plansTaxationTaxpayersTransportation and Public WorksUnemployment insuranceWomenWomen's retirement
This bill died when the 110th Congress ended
It never became law before the 110th Congress (2007–2008) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 6, 2008
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 6, 2008
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action March 6, 2008

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require certain small employers who do not provide retirement plans for their employees to allow eligible employees to participate in a payroll deposit individual retirement account arrangement (automatic IRA); (2) expand eligibility for the tax credit for retirement savings contributions (saver's credit) and make such credit refundable; (3) allow certain part-time employees to participate in qualified cash or deferred arrangements; (4) allow the transfer of up to $500 of unused health plan benefits to qualified retirement plans; (5) treat wage replacement income (e.g., disability pay or unemployment compensation) as earned income for purposes of IRA contribution limits; (6) allow a limited tax exclusion for certain lifetime annuity payments and for qualified retirement planning services; (7) allow certain small employers a tax credit for contributions to employee pension plans; and (8) allow self-employed individuals to deduct pension plan contributions from their self-employment income.

Sets forth special rules for: (1) preservation of retirement plan assets distributed under a qualified domestic relations order; (2) eligibility of surviving and divorced spouses for benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act; and (3) military retired pay subject to court orders in domestic relations proceedings.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants to qualified low-income taxpayer clinics to provide retirement savings counseling to low-income taxpayers.

Requires the Commissioner of Social Security to prepare a financial reference handbook and a retirement readiness checklist for distribution to social security recipients.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax deduction for long-term care insurance premiums; (2) allow a phased-in tax credit ($1,000 in 2008, increasing by $500 each year to $3,000 in 2012) for family caregivers of spouses and dependents who have long-term care needs; (3) apply certain consumer protection standards to long-term care insurance contracts; and (4) allow tax-free exchanges of such contracts.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5543: Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008. 110th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-5543/
MLA
"H.R. 5543: Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008." 110th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-5543/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5543, 110th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-5543/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5543: Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008](https://openamerica.io/bill/110-HR-5543/)
Report a problem