President Biden signs Social Security Fairness Act

WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - President Joe Biden signed new bipartisan legislation that boosts Social Security benefits for more than two million retired public workers.

In a ceremony at the White House, the president signed the Social Security Fairness Act Sunday, surrounded by some of the bill's sponsors, including Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

The White House says that Biden is the first president in more than 20 years to expand Social Security benefits.

In remarks, Biden explained that the legislation expands benefits for Americans who were previously denied or had reduced Social Security checks because they or their spouses were entitled to public pensions, clearing the way for teachers, firefighters, policeman and other public sector workers to receive increases in their Social Security benefits.

"By signing this bill, we're extending Social Security benefits from millions of teachers, nurses and other public service employees and their spouses and survivors. That means an estimated average of $360 per month increase. That's a big deal in middle class households like the one I grew up in and many of you did...a million, for millions of Americans going forward, that's not all. Over two and a half million Americans are going to receive a lump sum payment of thousands of dollars to make up for the shortfall in the benefits they should have gotten in 2024."

President Joe Biden