How AARP is Working for You

We’re fighting in states around the country for legislation to bring tax relief to older residents and retirees, and our work is paying off in Montana, Michigan and Utah. 

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recently signed three AARP-supported tax relief bills, including one that provides working Montanans with income tax rebates of up to $1,250 ($2,500 for couples) and another that offers homeowners a property tax credit of up to $500 on their primary residence for the next two years. The governor also signed legislation to triple the state’s Earned Income Tax credit for low-income residents.

Earlier this month, Michigan's governor signed legislation to roll back the state’s tax on pensions and other retirement income — after more than a decade of lobbying by our Michigan office. And in Utah, the governor signed legislation that will exempt more residents from the state tax on Social Security.

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When New England’s largest water company wanted to raise its rates in Connecticut by 25 percent over the next three years, AARP members and our state office fought back — and we applaud state regulators for listening. 

Not only did the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) reject water company Aquarion’s proposed increase in a March 15 ruling, the regulator ordered the company to lower its rate by 11 percent, saving roughly 200,000 Connecticut customers an average of $67 a year. 

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Identity fraud cost 40 million Americans a combined $43 billion in 2022, according to a new AARP-sponsored report from Javelin Research & Strategy. 

The good news? That’s down $9 billion compared to the previous year, suggesting that stronger vigilance from financial institutions – and efforts by AARP and others to educate consumers – are making a difference, according to the report. 

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More than three-quarters of adults 50-plus prefer to stay in their homes and communities as they age. But finding care at home can be a real challenge. Too often, families must cobble together a patchwork of services, or they’re forced to turn to nursing homes to get the care they need.

That’s why we submitted written testimony for a hearing before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging this month, urging  lawmakers to approve policies to support family caregivers, expand affordable home care options and ease the severe shortage of direct care workers, such as home health aides and certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

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As the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) prepares to spend hundreds of billions on the nation’s roads in the coming years, we’re urging officials to put the safety of older drivers and pedestrians at the forefront. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Congress passed in 2021 “represents a key opportunity to transform our nation’s road network to meet the needs of all users,” but too often, road design has “prioritized vehicle speed over safety,” wrote David Certner, AARP’s legislative counsel and legislative policy director for government affairs. 

Nearly 43,000 Americans died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, up 10 percent from the previous year. And adults 65 and older are disproportionately impacted.

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We’re proud that our advocacy helped defeat a bill that would have ended affordable health care coverage for more than 100,000 low-income residents in Montana.

Montana is one of 39 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have expanded Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low-income Americans, to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level ($20,120 for a single person).

But a provision tucked inside a Medicaid bill before state lawmakers this month would have effectively ended that expansion by the end of this year.

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Curious how you stack up as a driver? We’ve launched a new free smartphone app that analyzes your driving habits and rates your safety behind the wheel. 

AARP teamed with driving technology company Cambridge Mobile Telematics to create AARP’s SafeTrip, an app that aims to encourage safe driving and reinforce the lessons taught in our popular driver safety courses. 

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We’re thrilled that Gov. Pedro R. Pierluisi has signed legislation that moves Puerto Rico a step closer to making it easier for private-sector workers to save for retirement.

The new law sets up a working group to design a publicly facilitated retirement savings option, similar to programs we’ve championed in states across the country. It will also establish financial literacy training for public and private employees.

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