[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2589 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2589
To improve benefits under title II of the Social Security Act and to
increase the social security benefit and contribution base.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 1, 1993
Mr. Jacobs introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve benefits under title II of the Social Security Act and to
increase the social security benefit and contribution base.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security Benefits Improvement
Act of 1993''.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENTS IN EXEMPT AMOUNT FOR PURPOSES OF THE RETIREMENT
TEST.
(a) Increase in Exempt Amount for Individuals Who Have Attained
Retirement Age.--Section 203(f)(8)(D) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 403(f)(8)(D)) is amended to read as follows:
``(D)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
subsection, the exempt amount which is applicable to an
individual who has attained retirement age (as defined in
section 216(1)) before the close of the taxable year involved
shall be--
``(I) for the taxable year beginning after 1993 and
before 1995, $1,000.00,
``(II) for the taxable year beginning after 1994
and before 1996, $1,166.66\2/3\,
``(III) for the taxable year beginning after 1995
and before 1997, $1,333.33\1/3\,
``(IV) for the taxable year beginning after 1996
and before 1998, $1,500.00, and
``(V) for the taxable year beginning after 1997 and
before 1999, $1,666.66\2/3\.
``(ii) For purposes of subparagraph (B)(ii)(II), the
increase in the exempt amount provided under clause (i)(V)
shall be deemed to have resulted from a determination which
shall be deemed to have been made under subparagraph (A) in
1997.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The second sentence of section 223(d)(4)
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423(d)(4)) is amended by striking ``the exempt
amount under section 203(f)(8) which is applicable to individuals
described in subparagraph (D) thereof'' and inserting the following:
``an amount equal to the exempt amount which would have been applicable
under section 203(f)(8), to individuals described in subparagraph (D)
thereof, if section 2 of the Social Security Benefits Improvement Act
of 1993 had not been enacted''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to taxable years beginning after 1993.
SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT IN RATE OF ACTUARIAL REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF WIDOW'S
AND WIDOWER'S INSURANCE BENEFITS SO AS TO REDUCE MAXIMUM
REDUCTIONS TO 25 PERCENT.
(a) In General.--Section 202(q)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 402(q)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``\19/40\ of 1
percent'' and inserting ``\5/12\ of 1 percent''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 202(q)(9) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 402(q)(9)) is
amended by striking ``28.5 percent'' each place it appears and
inserting ``25.0 percent''.
(2) Section 202(q)(10) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 402(q)(10))
is amended by striking ``\19/40\ of 1 percent'' each place it
appears and inserting ``\5/12\ of 1 percent''.
(c) Effective Date and Transition Rule.--
(1) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply with respect to benefits for months after January
1994.
(2) Transition rule.--Section 1634 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1383c) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(e)(1) In the case of any eligible widow or widower (as defined
in paragraph (2)) who is entitled to a widow's or widower's insurance
benefit under section 202 (e) or (f) for any month but is not eligible
for benefits under this title in that month--
``(A) such eligible widow or widower shall be deemed for
purposes of title XIX to be an individual with respect to whom
supplemental security income benefits are paid under this title
in that month, if he or she would be eligible for such benefits
in the month involved if the amount of the increase described
in paragraph (2)(B) in his or her widow's or widower's
insurance benefits (and any subsequent cost-of-living
adjustments in such benefits under section 215(i)) were
disregarded, and
``(B) such eligible widow or widower shall be deemed for
purposes of title XIX to be an individual with respect to whom
State supplementary payments, of the type referred to in
section 1616(a) of this Act or in section 212(a) of Public Law
93-66 which are paid by the Secretary under an agreement
referred to in such section 1616(a) or in section 212(b) of
Public Law 93-66, are paid in that month, if he or she would be
eligible for such payments in the month involved if the amount
of the increase described in paragraph (2)(B) in his or her
widow's or widower's insurance benefits (and any subsequent
cost-of-living adjustments in such benefits under section
215(i)) were disregarded.
``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term `eligible widow or
widower' means an individual--
``(A) who is entitled to a widow's or widower's insurance
benefit under section 202 (e) or (f) for January 1994 and with
respect to whom a benefit under this title was paid in that
month, and
``(B) who, because of the increase in the amount of his or
her widow's or widower's insurance benefits which results from
the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) of section 3 of
the Social Security Benefits Improvement Act of 1993, is not
eligible for benefits under this title in the first month in
which such increase is paid to him or her (and in which a
retroactive payment of such increase for prior months was not
made).
``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term `benefit under this
title' means a supplemental security income benefit under this title,
and a State supplementary payment of the type referred to in section
1616(a) (or a payment of the type referred to in section 212(a) of
Public Law 93-66) which is paid by the Secretary under an agreement
referred to in section 1616(a) (or in section 212(b) of Public Law 93-
66).''.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF 7-YEAR RESTRICTION ON ELIGIBILITY FOR WIDOW'S AND
WIDOWER'S INSURANCE BENEFITS BASED ON DISABILITY.
(a) Widow's Insurance Benefits.--
(1) In general.--Section 202(e) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 402(e)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking ``which
began before the end of the period specified in
paragraph (4)'';
(B) in paragraph (1)(F)(ii), by striking ``(I) in
the period specified in paragraph (4) and (II)'';
(C) by striking paragraph (4) and by redesignating
paragraphs (5) through (9) as paragraphs (4) through
(8), respectively; and
(D) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii) (as redesignated), by
striking ``whichever'' and all that follows through
``begins'' and inserting ``the first day of the
seventeenth month before the month in which her
application is filed''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Section 202(e)(1)(F)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(e)(1)(F)(i)) is amended by striking ``paragraph
(5)'' and inserting ``paragraph (4)''.
(B) Section 202(e)(1)(C)(ii)(III) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 402(e)(2)(C)(ii)(III)) is amended by striking
``paragraph (8)'' and inserting ``paragraph (7)''.
(C) Section 202(e)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(e)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``paragraph (7)''
and inserting ``paragraph (6)''.
(D) Section 226(e)(1)(A)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
426(e)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by striking ``202(e)(4)''.
(b) Widower's Insurance Benefits.--
(1) In general.--Section 202(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(f)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking ``which
began before the end of the period specified in
paragraph (5)'';
(B) in paragraph (1)(F)(ii), by striking ``(I) in
the period specified in paragraph (5) and (II)'';
(C) by striking paragraph (5) and by redesignating
paragraphs (6) through (9) as paragraphs (5) through
(8), respectively; and
(D) in paragraph (5)(A)(ii) (as redesignated), by
striking ``whichever'' and all that follows through
``begins'' and inserting ``the first day of the
seventeenth month before the month in which his
application is filed''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Section 202(f)(1)(F)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(f)(1)(F)(i)) is amended by striking ``paragraph
(6)'' and inserting ``paragraph (5)''.
(B) Section 202(f)(1)(C)(ii)(III) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 402(f)(2)(C)(ii)(III)) is amended by striking
``paragraph (8)'' and inserting ``paragraph (7)''.
(C) Section 226(e)(1)(A)(i) of such Act (as amended
by subsection (a)(2)) is further amended by striking
``, 202(f)(1)(B)(2), and 202(f)(5)'' and inserting
``and 202(f)(1)(B)(2)''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to benefits for months after August 1993 for which
applications are filed or pending on or after September 1, 1993.
SEC. 5. INCREASE IN OASDI CONTRIBUTION AND BENEFIT BASE.
Section 230(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 430(c)) is
amended--
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ``and'' before
``(2)'', by striking the period at the end of subclause (D) of
clause (2) and inserting a comma, and by adding at the end,
after and below such subclause (D), the following:
``and (3) the `contribution and benefit base' with respect to
remuneration paid (and taxable years beginning) in 1994 shall be the
contribution and benefit base which would be determined under this
section with respect to remuneration paid (and taxable years beginning)
in such year if section 5 of the Social Security Benefits Improvement
Act of 1993 had not been enacted, plus $2,100.00.'';
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ``in 1982 and
subsequent years'' and inserting ``in years beginning after
1981 and ending before 1994''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``For
purposes of determining under subsection (b) the `contribution
and benefit base' with respect to remuneration paid (and
taxable years beginning) in 1995 and subsequent years, the
contribution and benefit base determined under clause (3) of
the first sentence of this subsection shall be considered to
have resulted from the application of such subsection (b) and
to be the contribution and benefit base determined (with
respect to 1994) under that subsection.''.
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