Rescue plan extends benefits for railroaders, RRB member says

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed earlier this year by Congress, extends railroader benefits that had been created by the federal COVID-19 relief legislation passed in 2020, according to a member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

The new ARPA law includes an extension of recovery benefits, unemployment benefits and a waiver of a waiting period for unemployment and sickness benefits, RRB member John Bragg said in a message to rail labor.

In addition, the ARPA stipulates that up to $10,200 in unemployment benefits may be exempt from income tax, under a measure administered by the Internal Revenue Service.

Bragg's entire message to rail labor is available on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen's website.