New legislation introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington,is aimed at improving women’s retirement security.

The Women’s Pension Protection Act of 2015, according to theSenator’s office, would strengthen consumer protections tosafeguard retirement savings, improve access to retirement savingsplans for long-term, part-time workers, most of whom are women, andhelp increase women’s financialliteracy.

One of the proposed protections in the legislation is a measurethat would extend spousal protections currently available fordefined benefit plans to defined contribution plans like a 401(k),to prevent such things as one spouse taking a loan or distributionfrom a 401(k) without the other spouse’s knowledge or consent.

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The bill would also expand coverage of retirement plans tolow-wage and part-time workers not currently eligible toparticipate, by amending the minimum participation standards forlong-term part-time workers.

The new standards would require employers to allow employees toparticipate in a plan once they have reached the earlier of thecurrent minimum participation standards—age 21 or the completion ofone year of service (generally 1,000 hours of service during a12-month period)—or once they have completed at least 500 hours ofservice for three consecutive years.

The WPPA also contains provisions to increase financial literacyin two ways.

First, it would require financial providers to provide a link tothe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in any offer for the saleof a retirement financial product or service.

This link would provide information and resources regardingretirement planning and/or retirement security. Second, the WPPAwould also provide for grants through the Department of Labor toestablished community-based organizations to improve the financialliteracy of women who are of working or retirement age.

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Murray, who is the ranking member of the Senate Health,Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced thebill with cosponsors Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York,Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri; Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire;Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland; Maria Cantwell, D-Washington; TammyBaldwin, D-Wisconsin; Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan; and AmyKlobuchar, D-Minnesota.