79–008

106TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 106–795

PROVIDING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4865, THE

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TAX RELIEF ACT OF 2000

JULY 26, 2000.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. SESSIONS, from the Committee on Rules,

submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. Res. 564]

The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House

Resolution 564, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to the House

with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

The resolution provides for the consideration in the House of

H.R. 4865, the Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2000,

under a modified closed rule. The rule provides one hour of debate

equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule waives

all points of order against the bill and against its consideration.

The rule provides that the amendment recommended by the

Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill shall be

considered as adopted upon adoption of the resolution. The rule

further provides for consideration of the amendment in the nature

of a substitute printed in this report, if offered by Representative

Pomeroy or his designee, which shall be considered as read and

shall be separately debatable for one hour equally divided between

the proponent and an opponent. The rule waives all points of order

against the amendment printed in this report. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

The waiver of all points of order against the bill and against its

consideration includes a waiver of clause 4 of rule XIII (requiring

a three-day availability of the committee report) because even

though the report was filed on Monday, July 24, it was not made

available until Wednesday, July 26, and may be considered on the

floor as early as Thursday, July 27. The waiver of all points of

order also includes a waiver of clause 4 of rule XXI (prohibiting appropriations in legislative bills) because section 3(a) of the bill apVerDate 11-MAY-2000 02:10 Jul 27, 2000 Jkt 079008 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR795.XXX pfrm08 PsN: HR795
2

propriates revenue to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. The

waiver of all points of order against the amendment printed in this

report also includes a waiver of clause 4 of rule XXI because section 3(a) of the amendment is identical to the section 3(a) of the

bill.

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENT MADE IN ORDER UNDER THE RULE

Pomeroy/Green (TX)/Capuano—Increases the income level at

which the 85% tax on Social Security benefits would apply from

$44,000 on a joint return to $100,000 and from $32,000 on a single

return to $80,000. The tax reductions would be subject to annual

certifications by the Secretary of the Treasury that there are sufficient surpluses outside the Social Security and Medicare programs

to make the Medicare Trust Fund whole.

TEXT OF AMENDMENT MADE IN ORDER UNDER THE RULE

AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE POMEROY OF

NORTH DAKOTA, OR A DESIGNEE

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Security Benefits Tax Relief

Act of 2000’’.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN ADJUSTED BASE AMOUNT CONTINGENT ON

AVAILABILITY OF BUDGET SURPLUSES.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 86 of the Internal Revenue Code of

1986 (relating to social security and tier 1 railroad retirement benefits) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘‘(g) INCREASE IN ADJUSTED BASE AMOUNT CONTINGENT ON

AVAILABILITY OF BUDGET SURPLUSES.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2000, subsection (c)(2) shall be applied—

‘‘(A) by substituting ‘$80,000’ for ‘$34,000’ in subparagraph (A) thereof, and

‘‘(B) by substituting ‘$100,000’ for ‘$44,000’ in subparagraph (B) thereof.

‘‘(2) CONTINGENCY.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) shall apply to taxable

years beginning in any calendar year only if the Secretary

of the Treasury certifies (before the close of such calendar

year) that the condition specified in subparagraph (B) is

met with respect to such calendar year.

‘‘(B) CONDITION.—The condition specified in this subparagraph is met for any calendar year if the projected onbudget surplus for the fiscal year beginning in such calendar year (determined by excluding the receipts and disbursements of part A of the medicare program) is greater

than the projected appropriations that would be required

by section 3 of the Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act

of 2000 for such fiscal year if paragraph (1) had been in

effect for all taxable years after 2000.’’.

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section

shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2000.

3

SEC. 3. MAINTENANCE OF TRANSFERS TO HOSPITAL INSURANCE

TRUST FUND.

(a) IN GENERAL.—There are hereby appropriated to the Hospital

Insurance Trust Fund established under section 1817 of the Social

Security Act amounts equal to the reduction in revenues to the

Treasury by reason of the enactment of this Act. Amounts appropriated by the preceding sentence shall be transferred from the

general fund at such times and in such manner as to replicate to

the extent possible the transfers which would have occurred to

such Trust Fund had this Act not been enacted.

(b) REPORTS.—The Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary’s

delegate shall annually report to the Committee on Ways and

Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate the amounts and timing of the transfers under

this section.

Æ