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H.R. 6543 119th Congress House

Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act

Official title: To provide for the exemption of certain earnings from the retirement earnings test, and for other purposes.

Introduced: December 9, 2025 Introduced by: Glenn Thompson Republican · Pennsylvania See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Dec 9, 2025
Introduced in House
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What's happening now December 9, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act

This bill exempts from the Social Security Retirement Earnings Test (RET) wages earned through work as a health care professional or first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the RET, benefits are reduced for beneficiaries who are younger than full retirement age if they earn wages in excess of a specified annual limit. 

Further, the Social Security Administration may issue waivers to individuals employed as health care professionals or first responders during a declared public health emergency in which there is a shortage of health care workers. Wages earned by individuals granted waivers during a public health emergency are exempt from the RET. 

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6543: Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6543/
MLA
"H.R. 6543: Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6543/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6543, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6543/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6543: Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6543/)
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