I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8600 

To provide an emergency cost-of-living increase for social security 

beneficiaries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. VAN DREW) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 

and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To provide an emergency cost-of-living increase for social 

security beneficiaries, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘COVID–19 Emergency 

5 Social Security Cost of Living Increase Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective with the month of No8 vember 2020, the Commissioner of Social Security shall 


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1 increase each of the amounts described in subclauses (I) 

2 through (III) of section 215(i)(2)(A)(ii) of the Social Se3 curity Act by not less than 3 percent. 

4 (b) TREATMENT OF INCREASE.—For purposes of ap5 plying subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 215(i)(1) of 

6 the Social Security Act in calendar year 2020, the increase 

7 under subsection (a) shall be treated as a general benefit 

8 increase under title II of the Social Security Act. 

9 SEC. 3. COMPUTATION OF COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES 

10 BASED ON CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR EL11 DERLY CONSUMERS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i)(1) of the Social Se13 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)) is amended by adding 

14 at the end the following new subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(H) the term ‘Consumer Price Index’ means 

16 the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers 

17 (CPI–E, as published by the Bureau of Labor Sta18 tistics of the Department of Labor).’’. 

19 (b) APPLICATION TO PRE-1979 LAW.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i)(1) of the So21 cial Security Act as in effect in December 1978, and 

22 as applied in certain cases under the provisions of 

23 such Act as in effect after December 1978, is 

24 amended by adding at the end the following new 

25 subparagraph: 


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1 ‘‘(D) the term ‘Consumer Price Index’ means 

2 the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers 

3 (CPI–E, as published by the Bureau of Labor Sta4 tistics of the Department of Labor).’’. 

5 (2) CONFORMING CHANGE.—Section 215(i)(4) 

6 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(4)) is 

7 amended— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘and by section 9001’’ and 

9 inserting ‘‘, section 9001’’; and 

10 (B) by inserting ‘‘and section 3 of the 

11 COVID–19 Emergency Social Security Cost of 

12 Living Increase Act of 2020,’’ after ‘‘1986,’’. 

13 (c) PUBLICATION OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR

14 ELDERLY CONSUMERS.—The Bureau of Labor Statistics 

15 of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish the 

16 index authorized by section 191 of the Older Americans 

17 Amendments Act of 1987 (29 U.S.C. 2 note) for each cal18 endar month, beginning with the date of enactment of this 

19 Act, and such index shall be known as the ‘‘Consumer 

20 Price Index for Elderly Consumers’’. 

21 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 subsection (a) shall apply to determinations made with re23 spect to cost-of-living computation quarters (as defined in 


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1 section 215(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

2 415(i)(1)(B))) ending on or after September 30, 2021. 

Æ 


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