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Page 20 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, DECEmbER 22, 2023 BEACON | FROM PAGE 19 he or she voted. Sen. Sal DiDomenico 9 8 . 9 percent (1) ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL GIVE WORKERS PAID TIME OFF TO VOTE (H 4217) – The House approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would require employers to give employees sufficient time off , with pay, to vote in state, city and town elections, on Election Day, if the employee does not have sufficient time to vote outside working hours. Employees would be required to give an employer three days’ notice of his or her intent to take time off to vote on Election Day. The measure also bars employers from requiring an employee to vote by mail or to vote during a designated early voting period prior to Election Day. The proposal would replace a current law that is narrower, applies only to manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishments, only allows the worker to vote during the two hours after the polls open on Election Day and does not require the employers to pay the worker for the time off . “The legislation that was advanced by the House today will help to guarantee that every Massachusetts voter has time to vote on Election Day, regardless of the constraints of their job, a critical step towards ensuring that every eligible voter has the chance to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). Authors of the bill and other earlier versions of it did not respond to requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them to comment on this new version of the measure. Legislation. Legislators who did not respond are Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and Reps. John Lawn (D-Watertown) and Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). PUBLIC SAFETY LEGISLATION – The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a public hearing on several bills including: RETIRED POLICE DOGS – DAKOTA’S LAW - (H 2424) – Would create a Retired Police Dog Care Fund to provide grants to non-profi t organizations to provide care and medical services to retired police dogs. The law is named after Dakota, a police dog who suff ered PTSD following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. “Dakota’s Law is based on a true life Massachusetts story which is now an award winning documentary called ‘Healing Dakota,’” said sponsor Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “Dakota’s Law is aimed at providing a lifetime of fi nancial support to pay the medical bills of heroic police K9s injured in the line of duty and upon their retirement.” ALLOW ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT FOR POLICE DOGS (H 2423) – Would allow advanced life support care to be administered to an injured police dog by a licensed, trained, qualifi ed professional. The bill is a follow up to a law, known as Nero’s Law, approved in 2022 that requires EMS personnel to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and use an ambulance to transport the dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic or hospital if there are not people requiring emergency medical treatment or transport at that time. Nero’s law does not require EMS personnel to administer treatment on the way to the hospital. This new bill adds that requirement. “[This bill] is also a true life Massachusetts story involving the murder of my fellow Police Offi cer Sean Gannon and the shooting of his devoted partner K9 Nero,” said sponsor Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “Nero’s Law Phase 2 enhances the current Nero’s Law [by] offering specially trained Massachusetts fi rst responders the option to provide Advanced Life Support for police K9s injured in the line of duty.” HELP POLICE OFFICERS AFTER A CRITICAL INCIDENT (H 2355) – Would require all police department and other law enforcement agencies to develop and maintain a program for supporting law enforcement offi cers who have been involved in a critical incident. A critical incident is defi ned as a traumatic event that may cause powerful emotional reactions in people involved or exposed to the event. These events could include a line of duty death of an offi cer, the suicide of an offi cer, multiple casualty incidents, an event involving children, an offi cer involved shooting, as well as any other event that elicits an emotional response. “This legislation acknowledges the emotional impact that traumatic events have on law enforcement offi cers and ensures that every offi - cer involved in a critical incident receives the necessary support they need to maintain their mental well-being,” said Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “Untreated trauma weighs down on offi cers, and as each offi cer encounters more and more critical incidents, that trauma builds on the last incident, similar to adding rocks to a backpack and asking the offi cers to just continue marching despite the extra weight. This bill will ensure that every offi cer has access to support after an incident, to help them remove the rocks from the backpack before returning to service. This legislation takes a significant step toward prioritizing the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to serving our communities.” PRIMARY ENFORCEMENT OF THE SEAT BELT LAW (H 2395, H 2340) – Would allow police offi cers to issue tickets for seat belt violations even if the driver is not fi rst stopped for another violation as required under current law. “Seatbelts offer the best defense from injury or death in car crashes,” said Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin), sponsor of H 2395. Seat belts promote safety, save lives and save BEACON | SEE PAGE 21 Say nir Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller What Is the Retirement Saver’s Credit and How Does It Work? Dear Savvy Senior, Can you explain to me how the retirement saver’s tax credit works? My wife and I are in our fi fties and are looking for creative ways to boost our retirement savings beyond our 401(k). Is this something we may be eligible for? Struggling to Save Dear Struggling, If your income is low to moderate and you participate in your employer-sponsored retirement plan or an IRA, the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (aka “Saver’s Credit”) is a frequently overlooked tool that can help boost your retirement savings even more. Here’s how it works. If you contribute to a retirement-savings account like a traditional or Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457, Thrift Savings Plan, Simplifi ed Employee Pension or SIMPLE plan, the Saver’s Credit will allow you to claim 10, 20 or 50 percent of your contribution of up to $4,000 per year for couples or $2,000 for singles. Keep in mind that a credit is not the same as a tax deduction – it’s better: While a tax deduction just reduces the amount of your income that is subject to taxes, a tax credit reduces your actual tax bill dollar-for-dollar. To qualify, you must also be at least 18 years old and not a full-time student and were not claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. And your adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2023 must be below $73,000 or less as a married couple fi ling jointly, $54,750 or less if fi ling as head of household, or $36,500 or less if you’re a single fi ler. These income limits are adjusted annually to keep pace with infl ation. To get the 50 percent credit, you’ll need to have an income below $43,500 for married couples fi ling jointly; $32,625 if you’re filing as head of household; and $21,750 if you’re a single fi ler in 2023. The 20 percent credit rate applies to couples earning between $43,501 to $47,500; for head of household fi lers it’s $32,626 to $35,625; and for individuals it’s $21,751 to $23,750. And the 10 percent rate is for couples with an adjusted gross income between $47,501 and $73,000; for head of household filers $35,626 to $54,750; and individuals it’s between $23,751 and $36,500. Here’s an example of how this works. Let’s say that you and your wife earned $75,000 in 2023. Over the course of the year, you contributed $4,000 to your employer’s 401(k) plan. After deducting your 401(k) contribution, your adjusted gross income (AGI) on your joint return is now $71,000. Since your AGI puts you in the 10 percent credit bracket, and you’ve contributed the $4,000 maximum that can be considered for the credit, you are entitled to a $400 Saver’s Credit on your tax return. It’s also worth mentioning that the Saver’s Credit is in addition to any other tax benefi ts you get for your retirement contributions. So, in the previous example, not only would you be entitled to a $400 credit, but you would also be able to exclude the $4,000 401(k) contribution from your taxable income. So, if you’re in the 12 percent tax bracket, this translates to an additional $480 in savings, for a total of $880. How to Claim To claim the Saver’s Credit, you will need to fi ll out Form 8880 (see IRS.gov/pub/irspdf/f8880.pdf) and attach it to your Form 1040 or 1040NR when you fi le your tax return. For more information on the Saver’s Credit, see IRS Publication 590-A “Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements” (IRS. gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590a.pdf). The IRS also off ers an online quiz you can take to help you determine if you qualify for the Saver’s Credit. To access it go to IRS.gov/Help/ ITA – click on “Do I Qualify for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit?” under the “Credits” tab. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior

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