Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698832140498.pdf (Micronesia, Federated States of)
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA FIRST REGULAR SESSION, 2007 C.B.

NO.

15-27 A BILL FOR AN ACT To further amend Title 53 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia, Social Security, as amended, by amending section 603 to change the earning test, renumber section 603, clarify section 805, and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA: 1 Section 1.
Section 603 of title 53 of the Code of the 2 Federated States of Micronesia, as amended by Public Laws Nos.

5- 3 120, 7-118, 12-76, 14-37 AND 14-86 is hereby further amended to 4 read as follows: "Section 603.

Definitions.
Definitions.

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall be applicable: (1) 'Application' means the prescribed form or forms provided to individuals by the Social Security Administrator as the exclusive means by which an individual may apply for the payment of any benefit provided for in section 801, 802, 803 or 803A of this act.

(2) 'Became disabled' means the first month in which individual is under a disability.
(3) 'Board' means the Federated States of Micronesia Social Security Board provided for by section 701 of this subtitle.

(4) 'Child or spouse' means an applicant that the an CBL 15-26 C.B.

NO.

15-27 court of the State in which an individual was domiciled at the time of his death has or would find to be the individual's child or spouse in determining the devolution of intestate personal property.
'Child' shall include only the deceased individual’s biological children and such adopted children whose confirmed petition for adoption by the wage earner has been presented to the Social Security Administration.
Notwithstanding anything in this subsection, no person, adopted after December 31, 2006 and after the 55th birthday of the adopting parent, shall be a 'child' for the purposes of this title unless, the Social Security Administrator makes a determination that, due to exceptional circumstances, the person shall be so entitled.
In reaching a determination that exceptional circumstances apply, the Social Security Administrator shall satisfy himself or herself that future eligibility for social security benefits was not a significant factor in the decision to adopt and may consider any available, relevant information including, but not limited to: (a) whether the adopted child's biological mother, and/or biological father were alive at the time the adoption took place; (b) if one or both biological parents were alive 2 of 10 C.B.
NO.
15-27 at the time of adoption, whether one or both parents were acting or were capable of acting as a primary caregiver at that time; (c) whether the adopting parent is a relative of the adopted child; (d) whether, at the time the adoption took place, there were relatives, not including the adopting parents, who would have been appropriate guardians for the adopted child; (e) whether the adopting parent was a primary caregiver for the adopted child at the time of adoption and continued in that role after the adoption took place; (f) any other factor the Social Security Administrator considers relevant.
(5) 'Contributions' means the tax imposed upon income of covered employees and the tax imposed upon employers on account of wages paid to a covered employee.

(6) 'Disability' means inability to engage in any substantial gainful employment by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
(7) 'Earning test' means that an individual who 3 of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 receives a retirement, disability, or survivor benefit and who works in covered or noncovered employment shall have his quarterly benefit reduced by one dollar for each [two] four dollars earned in a quarter, except there shall be no reduction for the first $300 earned in a quarter.
The reduction shall be applied in one of the subsequent two quarters immediately after the quarter in which the earnings were made, or as soon as possible thereafter.

All benefit recipients have an affirmative duty to disclose to the FSM Social Security Administration all earnings from either covered or non- covered employment for any time period during which they received earnings and for which they are receiving or claiming benefits.
(8) 'Employee' means: (a) any officer of a corporation; or (b) any individual who, under the usual common law rules applicable in determining the employer- employee relationship, has the status of an employee; or (c) any self-employed person who has at least one employee for whom he is required to report in a given quarter; or (d) any self-employed person who had more than $10,000 of annual gross revenue in the preceding calendar year.
4 of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 (9) 'Employment, covered' or 'covered employment' means any service by an employee for an employer incorporated or doing business within the Federated States of Micronesia employing him, irrespective of where such employment is performed, except family employment.
(10) 'Employment, noncovered' or 'noncovered employment' means any employment engaged in by an employee where coverage is statutorily exempt in the Federated States of Micronesia, family employment, or employment by an employee outside the Federated States of Micronesia and which is not taxable by the FSM Social Security Administration.
(11) Family employment' means employment of a worker by a member of the household, a parent or a son or daughter except that the worker may apply to the Board for a determination that such employment is bona fide covered employment subject to this subtitle.
(12) 'Insured status' can mean any of the following: (a) 'Currently insured individual' means any individual who has had not less than twenty quarters of coverage during the 25-quarter period ending with: (i) the quarter in which he died; or (ii) the quarter in which he became entitled to old age insurance benefits; or 5 of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 (iii) the quarter in which he became disabled, whichever first occurs.
(b) 'Fully insured individual' means any individual whose total cumulative quarters of coverage are at least as great as the number of years calculated from the later of the date the worker turned age twenty- one (21) or June 30, 1968, to the date the worker attains age sixty (60), dies or becomes disabled.

For this purpose, partial years shall be counted as whole years (for example 37.25 years would be rounded up to 38 years).
In no case shall an individual be a fully insured individual unless he has at least 12 quarters of coverage.

(i) For individuals who attain age sixty (60), die or become disabled on or before December 31, 2006, no more than thirty-eight (38) quarters of coverage are required to be fully insured.
(ii) For individuals who turn sixty (60) or die after December 31, 2006, no more than fifty (50) quarters of coverage and employee contributions to the Social Security System of at least $2,500 are required to be fully insured.

Should an individuals' employee contributions total less than $2,500 as of the date of termination of employment or death, the individual or their surviving spouse may pay the difference to the FSM 6 of 10 C.B.

NO.
NO.

15-27 Social Security Administration in a single sum payment in order to become fully insured.

The surviving children will be eligible for benefits so long as the individual was currently insured at the time of the individual's death.
(iii) For individuals who become disabled after December 31, 2006, no more than 45 quarters of coverage and employee contributions to the Social Security System of at least $1500 are required to be fully insured.

Should an individual's employee contribution total less than $1,500 as of the date of termination from employment, the individual may pay the difference to the FSM Social Security Administration in a single sum payment in order to become fully insured.
(13) 'Quarter' and 'calendar quarter' mean a period of three calendar months ending on March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, or December 31st.

'Quarter of coverage' means a quarter in which the individual has been paid [$50] $300 or more in wages in employment subject to this subtitle.

[(13)] (14) 'Wages' means remuneration paid subject to the provisions of this subtitle, including the cash value of all remuneration paid in any medium other than cash and remuneration accruing to a self-employed person.
7 of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 Remuneration accruing to a self-employed person shall be deemed to be twice the amount paid to the highest paid employee reported by the self-employed person in a quarter, with a maximum of $3,000 per quarter through September 30, 2003 and a maximum of $5,000 per quarter beginning October 1, 2003.
This maximum quarterly amount shall increase to $6,000 on January 1, 2008, $7,000 on January 1, 2013, $8,000 on January 1, 2018, $9,000 on January 1, 2023, and $10,000 on January 1, 2028.
Remuneration accruing to a self-employed person who has no covered employees shall, for each quarter of a year, be deemed to be 5 percent of the gross revenue of the business for the previous calendar year, subject to a $3,000 maximum per quarter through September 30, 2003 and a maximum of $5,000 per quarter beginning October 1, 2003.
The maximum quarterly amount shall increase to $6,000 on January 1, 2008, $7,000 on January 1, 2013, $8,000 on January 1, 2018, $9,000 on January 1, 2023, and $10,000 on October 1, 2028.

Remuneration paid for any service which is more or less than a whole dollar shall, as may be prescribed by regulations, be computed to the nearest dollar.

Wages shall not include: (a) that part of remuneration in excess of $3,000 through September 30, 2003 and in excess of $5,000 8 of 10 C.B.

NO.
15-27 beginning October 1, 2003, in excess of $6,000 beginning January 1, 2008, in excess of $7,000 beginning January 1, 2013, in excess of $8,000 beginning January 1, 2018, in excess of $9,000 beginning on January 1, 2023, and in excess of $10,000 beginning on January 1, 2028, paid in a quarterly reporting period by one employer; (b) any payment on account of sickness or accident disability, or medical or hospitalization expenses made by an employer to or on behalf of an employee; (c) any payment made to or on behalf of an employee or to the employee's beneficiary from a trust or annuity; (d) remuneration paid in any medium other than cash to an employee for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business or for domestic service in a private home of an employer; (e) remuneration paid for casual or intermittent labor not performed in the course of the employer's trade or business when such employment does not exceed employment in more than one week in each calendar month of each quarterly reporting period; and (f) remuneration from family employment subject to the provisions of this subtitle."
Section 2.

Section 805 of Title 53 of the Code of the 9 of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 1 Federated States of Micronesia is hereby amended to read as 2 follows: "Section 805.

Reemployment after retirement.


In the event an individual who is receiving retirement insurance benefits returns to covered employment, the benefit shall be recomputed in accordance with the earning test at the end of the calendar year and paid as provided in this subtitle beginning with the year after the calendar year after the calendar year the earnings were made.” Section 3.

This act shall be effective immediately upon this 12 act becoming law.
This act shall become law upon approval by the 13 President of the Federated States of Micronesia or upon its 14 becoming law without such approval.

15 16 Date: 5/24/07 Introduced by: /s/ Roosevelt D. Kansou Roosevelt D. Kansou of 10 C.B.

NO.

15-27 of 10