Need to know
State-Mandated Retirement Plans
State-mandated retirement plans are the result of legislation requiring small businesses to provide retirement benefits to their employees. These employers now have the added responsibility of choosing a plan that’s right for their business and performing various administrative tasks to comply with the laws. Their employees must also find the plan beneficial – a critical aspect to retaining top talent.
Why are states mandating retirement plans?
These mandates are a way to address the retirement savings gap in this country. The research they have done shows :
Savings
The average working household had practically no retirement savings.
Employees
Employees are more likely to save when they have access to a 401(k) or similar plan by their employer.
Offers
Only four in ten businesses with less than one hundred employees offer retirement benefits.
Which states have mandatory retirement plans?
More than 30 states have considered enacting state-mandated retirement plan legislation. Of them, 13 have actually signed such programs into law. These states are highlighted on the map below:
Retirement Legislation State by State
Active state-sponsored retirement plans
| State | Retirement Legislation |
| California | CalSavers |
| Connecticut | MyCTSavings |
| Illinois | Illinois Secure Choice |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Defined Contribution CORE Plan |
| Oregon | OregonSaves |
| Washington | Washington Small Business Retirement Marketplace |
Legislation passed, implementation scheduled
| State | Retirement Legislation | Target Date |
| Colorado | See details by clicking, “State Mandate Retirement Plan” on this page. | End of 2021-2022 |
| Maine | Maine Retirement Savings Program | July 2023 |
| Maryland | Maryland Small Business Retirement Savings Program | Mid 2022 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Plan | March 2022 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Work and Save Act | January 2022 |
| Virginia | Virginia Saves | July 2023 |
| Vermont | Green Mountain Secure Retirement Plan | TBD 2021 |
Legislation passed, implementation not scheduled
| State | Retirement Legislation |
| New York | New York Secure Choice Savings Plan |
| New York City | Retirement Security for All Act |