President Signs Bill Raising US Capitol Police Retirement Age

WASHINGTON — President signed S. 4530 into law on Friday, May 29, 2026, authorizing an increase in the retirement age for members of the United States Capitol Police.

The legislation affects all sworn officers of the Capitol Police force, which numbers roughly 2,000 personnel responsible for securing the Capitol grounds, congressional office buildings, and protecting lawmakers. The bill does not specify the exact new age threshold in the White House announcement.

The law changes the prior statutory retirement age that had been in place for the agency. The new retirement age takes effect immediately upon enactment. Officers previously subject to mandatory separation at the former age limit can now continue serving until they reach the updated threshold.

Downstream, the change reduces near-term hiring and training demands on the Capitol Police, which must maintain staffing levels for 24-hour security operations across more than 10 million square feet of congressional facilities. Agency leadership must now update internal personnel policies, retirement processing procedures, and budget projections for salary and pension obligations.

The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations will incorporate the revised personnel costs into fiscal year 2027 funding bills for the legislative branch.

This marks the second congressional adjustment to Capitol Police retirement rules in the past decade. The original mandatory retirement age for the force was set by legislation passed in the 1990s to align with other federal law enforcement agencies.

Primary sources: White House