February 21, 2023

By Jennifer Galstad-Lee, CPA, JD, Senior Tax Manager

GRF Post - State-Mandated Retirement Plans An Overview for BusinessesMany Americans are not saving enough for retirement – in fact, a recent survey by the Federal Reserve found that a quarter of working adults have no retirement savings at all. To address this growing crisis, a number of states are enacting laws that require private businesses to provide employee retirement plans. The requirement comes with the option to enroll in a state-sponsored program, which provides a low-cost way for small businesses to offer a retirement plan. You do not need to enroll in a state-sponsored option if your business already offers an employee retirement plan – as long as the plan meets your state’s requirements. However, you might be subject to penalties if your business does not offer a retirement program and your state has a mandate for which you qualify.

Is your business impacted?

More than 30 states have considered enacting state-mandated retirement plan legislation, and 14 states now have laws enabling state-sponsored retirement plans. Keep in mind that even if your state does not require a workplace retirement plan, you may still be required to comply if you have a requisite number of employees reporting income in a state that does.

States with mandatory retirement plan requirements (as of February 2023)

States with active laws

California

CalSavers – www.calsavers.com
Current registration started on January 1, 2023.
Enrollment deadlines:
• December 31, 2023 | 5 or more employees
• December 31, 2025 | 1 to 4 employees

Colorado

Colorado Secure Savings Program – https://coloradosecuresavings.com
Enrollment deadlines:
• March 15, 2023 | 50-plus employees
• May 15, 2023 | 15 to 49 employees
• June 30, 2023 | 5 to 14 employees

Connecticut

MyCTSavings – https://myctsavings.com
Enrollment deadlines:
• June 30, 2022 | 100 or more employees
• October 31, 2022 | 26 to 99 employees
• March 30, 2023 | 5 to 25 employees

Illinois

Illinois Secure Choice – www.ilsecurechoice.com
Enrollment deadlines:
• ASAP: 16 or more employees (deadline passed, registration as soon as possible)
• November 1, 2023 | 5 to 15 employees

Maryland

Maryland Small Business Retirement Savings Program – www.marylandsaves.org
Enrollment deadlines:
• ASAP: One or more employees
• Employers who sign up by December 1, can save $300 of the annual registration fee beginning in 2023, and every year after.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Defined Contribution CORE Plan – www.mass.gov/core-plan-for-nonprofits
• Currently only enacted for the state’s nonprofit sector.

Oregon

Oregon Saves – www.oregonsaves.com
Enrollment Deadlines
• March 1, 2023 | 3 or more employees
• July 31, 2023 | One to 2 employees

Washington

Washington Small Business Retirement – https://retirement-marketplace.com
Enrollment Deadlines
• ASAP | One to 100 employees

States that have signed legislation

Maine

Signed into law, scheduled
Any covered employer may voluntarily offer the program after April 1, 2023.
Enrollment beginning in 2023 with the following proposed dates:
• April 1, 2023 | 25 or more employees
• October 1, 2023 | 15 to 24 employees
• April 1, 2024 | 5 to 14 employees

New Jersey

The New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program – www.eanj.org/engagement/newsroom/new-jersey-secure-choice-savings-program-what-employers-should-do-now (Details pending)

New Mexico

New Mexico Work and Save Program – https://nmsto.gov/special-programs/work-and-save (Details pending)

Virginia

Retire Path VA – www.retirepathva.com (Details pending)
Employer Registration:
• March 2023 | Pilot (Currently scheduled)
• July 1, 2023 | Launch (Proposed)

We Can Help You Navigate Retirement Plan Options for Your Business

State-sponsored retirement plans have pros and cons. Government-sponsored programs are generally a low-cost solution with few fiduciary responsibilities for employers. Government sponsored plans tend to have inflexible, less options within, and limited tax favored features. Businesses should evaluate accordingly whether a privately offered retirement plan vs government sponsored plan would be more suited for them.

For more information, reach out to the GRF tax team to discuss strategies for your workplace retirement plan.