To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans during the period that a military reservist or national guardsman is called to active duty for an extended period, and for other purposes.

April 11, 2003

Mr. BEAUPREZ (for himself and Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans during the period that a military reservist or national guardsman is called to active duty for an extended period, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Guardsmen and Reservists Financial Relief Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. PENALTY-FREE WITHDRAWALS FROM RETIREMENT PLANS FOR INDIVIDUALS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR AT LEAST 179 DAYS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Paragraph (2) of section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to 10-percent additional tax on early distributions from qualified retirement plans) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(G) DISTRIBUTIONS FROM RETIREMENT PLANS TO INDIVIDUALS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY-

`(i) IN GENERAL- Any qualified reservist distribution.

`(ii) AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED MAY BE REPAID- Any individual who receives a qualified reservist distribution may, at any time during the 2-year period beginning on the day after the end of the active duty period, make one or more contributions to an individual retirement plan of such individual in an aggregate amount not to exceed the amount of such distribution. The dollar limitations otherwise applicable to contributions to individual retirement plans shall not apply to any contribution made pursuant to the preceding sentence. No deduction shall be allowed for any contribution pursuant to this clause.

`(iii) QUALIFIED RESERVIST DISTRIBUTION- For purposes of this subparagraph, the term `qualified reservist distribution' means any distribution to an individual if--

`(I) such distribution is from an individual retirement plan, or from amounts attributable to employer contributions made pursuant to elective deferrals described in subparagraph (A) or (C) of section 402(g)(3) or section 501(c)(18)(D)(iii),

`(II) such individual was (by reason of being a member of a reserve component (as defined in section 101 of title 37, United States Code)), ordered or called to active duty for a period in excess of 179 days or for an indefinite period, and

`(III) such distribution is made during the period beginning on the date of such order or call and ending at the close of the active duty period.

`(iv) APPLICATION OF SUBPARAGRAPH- This subparagraph applies to individuals ordered or called to active duty after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2005. In no event shall the 2-year period referred to in clause (ii) end before the date which is 2-years after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph.'

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS-

(1) Section 401(k)(2)(B)(i) of such Code is amended by striking `or' at the end of subclause (III), by striking `and' at the end of subclause (IV) and inserting `or', and by inserting after subclause (IV) the following new subclause:

`(V) the date on which a period referred to in section 72(t)(2)(G)(iii)(III) begins, and'.

(2) Section 403(b)(11) of such Code is amended by striking `or' at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting `, or', and by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:

`(C) for distributions to which section 72(t)(2)(G) applies.'

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendment made by this section shall apply to distributions after September 11, 2001.

END