I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1923 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to reduce from 60 to 55 

the age at which an individual who is otherwise eligible may be paid 

widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 1, 2003 

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to reduce from 

60 to 55 the age at which an individual who is otherwise 

eligible may be paid widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Security Sur5 vivors’ Fairness Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REDUCTION IN AGE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR WIDOW’S 

7 AND WIDOWER’S INSURANCE BENEFITS. 

8 (a) WIDOW’S INSURANCE BENEFITS.— 
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(e)(1) of the So2 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)(1)) is amended 

3 by striking ‘‘age 60’’ each place it appears in sub4 paragraph (B) and in the matter following subpara5 graph (F) and inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

6 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

7 (A) Section 202(e)(3)(A) of such Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 402(e)(3)(A)) is amended by striking 

9 ‘‘age 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

10 (B) Section 202(e)(4) of such Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 402(e)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘age 

12 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

13 (b) WIDOWER’S INSURANCE BENEFITS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(f)(1) of such 

15 Act (42 U.S.C. 402(f)(1)) is amended by striking 

16 ‘‘age 60’’ each place it appears in subparagraph (B) 

17 and in the matter following subparagraph (G) and 

18 inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

19 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

20 (A) Section 202(f)(4)(A) of such Act (42 

21 U.S.C. 402(f)(4)(A)) is amended by striking 

22 ‘‘age 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

23 (B) Section 202(f)(5) of such Act (42 

24 U.S.C. 402(f)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘age 

25 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 
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1 (c) ADJUSTMENT TO REDUCTION PERCENTAGE

2 WITH RETIREMENT AGE AT AGE 65.— 

3 (1) REDUCTION IN MONTHLY REDUCTION.— 

4 Section 202(q)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

402(q)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘19 5 ⁄40 of 1 

percent’’ and inserting ‘‘19 6 ⁄80 of 1 percent’’. 

7 (2) EXPANSION OF MAXIMUM REDUCTION PE8 RIOD.—Section 202(q)(6)(A)(iii) of such Act (42 

9 U.S.C. 402(q)(6)(A)(iii)), by striking ‘‘age 60’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘age 55’’. 

11 (d) ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Title 

12 II of such Act is further amended— 

13 (1) in the last sentence of section 203(c) (42 

14 U.S.C. 403(c)), by striking ‘‘age 60’’ each place it 

15 appears and inserting ‘‘age 55’’; 

16 (2) in clause (D) of the last sentence of section 

17 203(f)(1) (42 U.S.C. 403(f)(1)(D)), by striking ‘‘age 

18 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’; 

19 (3) in section 216(l)(2), by striking ‘‘age 60’’ 

20 and inserting ‘‘age 55’’; 

21 (4) in the first sentence of section 222(b)(1) 

22 (42 U.S.C. 422(b)(1)) (as in effect under section 

23 101(d) of Public Law 106–170), by striking ‘‘age 

24 60’’ and inserting ‘‘age 55’’; 
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1 (5) in the first sentence of section 222(c)(3) 

2 (42 U.S.C. 422(c)(3)), by striking ‘‘age 60’’ and in3 serting ‘‘age 55’’; 

4 (6) in section 222(d)(1) (42 U.S.C. 422(d)(1)), 

5 by striking ‘‘age 60’’ in clauses (C) and (D), and in6 serting in each instance ‘‘age 55’’; and 

7 (7) in section 225(a) (42 U.S.C. 425(a)), by 

8 striking ‘‘age 60’’ each place it appears and insert9 ing ‘‘age 55’’. 

10 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

11 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

12 respect to monthly insurance benefits payable under title 

13 II of the Social Security Act for months after the month 

14 in which this Act is enacted. 

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