Congressman Fong's Bipartisan Clergy Act Passes Ways and Means Committee by a 40-0 Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced H.R. 227, Congressman Vince Fong’s (CA-20) bipartisan Clergy Act, by a 40-0 vote, a major step forward in giving pastors and clergy members greater retirement security. Congressman Fong reintroduced this legislation earlier this year alongside Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04).

The Clergy Act would establish a one-time re-enrollment window for pastors and other clergy members who previously opted out of Social Security, many in their youth, to voluntarily opt back in. 

Some pastors opted out decades ago, often due to inaccurate advice, 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.

“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 Congressman Fong (CA-20). “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.” 

“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,” said Congressman Thompson (CA-04). “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.”

“Faith leaders are trusted friends and pillars of their community who deserve to retire with dignity. Thank you to Congressman Fong for leading this issue and giving more Americans the opportunity to benefit from the promise of Social Security,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08). “I’m glad to see the Ways and Means Committee was able to advance this needed proposal to provide members of the clergy the opportunity to opt back into the Social Security system and improve their retirement security.”

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 (ECFA), and GuideStone Financial Resources, Lancaster Baptist Church, and AARP.

“The Church Alliance commends the advancement of the Clergy Act—a bipartisan measure in support of our nation’s faith leaders,” said Chris Wells, Executive Director of the Church Alliance. “This bill offers a fair re-enrollment window, giving clergy who’ve faithfully served our communities an avenue to a complete retirement package.  We applaud the bipartisan leadership behind this bill and its commitment to those who dedicate their lives to serving others.”

“I thank Congressman Vince Fong for championing the Clergy Act, and I am grateful for the support it received in the House Ways and Means Committee,” said Michael Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). “This legislation will make a real difference for pastors who, early in their ministries, made a mistake by opting out of Social Security irrevocably. This bill opens a very reasonable window of opportunity for them to fix that choice, and, having heard many stories of those affected, I know it will be a breath of fresh air. I encourage the full House to approve this important bill.”

“We are deeply grateful to Rep. Fong of California for his leadership and support of this important measure,” said Dr. D. Hance Dilbeck, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of GuideStone Financial Resources. “At GuideStone, we believe this is a positive step toward honoring those who faithfully serve in our churches and communities by helping them prepare for a more secure future.” 

“We are grateful for the leadership of Congressman Fong and other Congressional representatives to address this great need for many faith leaders across our country,” said Paul Chappell, Pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church. 

Background on the Clergy Act

The Clergy Act creates a two-year window – covering taxable years beginning January 1, 2029, and January 1, 2030 – 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 (IRS) 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. In the 118th Congress, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Clergy Act with overwhelming bipartisan support on a 41–0 vote. Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith offered an amendment today in the nature of a substitute which made a technical correction to the re-enrollment eligibility period, allowing clergy members to opt into Social Security starting January 1, 2029, and January 1, 2030.