I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2655 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to establish a disability benefit 

offset for Purple Heart recipients, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2019 

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. PANETTA, 

Mrs. HARTZLER, and Mr. CRAWFORD) 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 establish 

a disability benefit offset for Purple Heart recipients, 

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 ‘‘Purple Heart Freedom 

5 to Work Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DISABILITY BENEFIT OFFSET FOR PURPLE HEART 

7 RECIPIENTS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 223(e) of such Act (42 

9 U.S.C. 423(e)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(1) No ben2 efit’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) (A) Except as provided in 

3 paragraph (2), No benefit’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

5 (A) by striking ‘‘(2) No benefit’’ and in6 serting ‘‘(B) No benefit’’; and 

7 (B) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and in8 serting ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’; and 

9 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(2)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1) of this 

11 section, in any case in which an individual is entitled to 

12 a monthly insurance benefit under such subsection based 

13 on a disability that is attributable to an injury for which 

14 the individual was awarded the Purple Heart, such indi15 vidual shall be deemed to continue to be entitled to such 

16 benefit without regard to the individual’s termination 

17 month, except that payment of such benefit for any month 

18 shall be subject to the reduction described in subpara19 graph (B). 

20 ‘‘(B)(i) Any benefit described in subparagraph (A) 

21 otherwise payable to an individual described in such sub22 paragraph for a month shall be reduced by $1 for each 

23 $4 by which the individual’s earnings derived from services 

24 for such month exceeds the amount specified for such 


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1 month in clause (ii), except that such benefit may not be 

2 reduced below $0. 

3 ‘‘(ii) The amount specified in this clause with respect 

4 to an individual for a month is the amount of earnings 

5 derived from services, applicable to the individual for such 

6 month under subsection (d)(4)(A), sufficient to dem7 onstrate the individual’s ability to engage in substantial 

8 gainful activity. 

9 ‘‘(C) In the case of a benefit otherwise payable to 

10 an individual for a month under section 202 on the basis 

11 of the wages and self-employment income of an individual 

12 whose benefit is reduced pursuant to subparagraph (B), 

13 such benefit shall be reduced for such month by the same 

14 proportion as the reduction made pursuant to subpara15 graph (B).’’. 

16 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 223(a)(2) 

17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(2)) is amended by striking 

18 ‘‘and section 215(b)(2)(A)(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘, section 

19 215(b)(2)(A)(ii), and subsection (e) of this section’’. 

20 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

21 this section shall apply with respect to benefits payable 

22 for months beginning after the date that is 6 months after 

23 the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF HIGHER SGA AMOUNT FOR PUR2 PLE HEART RECIPIENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 223(d)(4)(A) of the Social 

4 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423(d)(4)(A)) is amended by in5 serting after ‘‘who is blind’’ the following: ‘‘or who is enti6 tled to a monthly insurance benefit under subsection 

7 (a)(1) based on a disability that is attributable to an in8 jury for which the individual was awarded the Purple 

9 Heart’’. 

10 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

11 this subsection (a) shall apply with respect to benefits pay12 able for months beginning after the date that is 6 months 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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