I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1601

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to restore the link between

the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted without

demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity and the

exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under the earnings test.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 28, 1999

Mr. EHRLICH (for himself, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. LARSON, Mr.

WATTS of Oklahoma, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. BLUNT, Mr.

SERRANO, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. BEREUTER, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. WYNN, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. WEYGAND,

Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr.

HORN, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SALMON, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr.

MEEHAN, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mrs. MEEK of

Florida, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. SHAYS, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. SNYDER,

Mr. BERMAN, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr.

MCNULTY, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BENTSEN, Mr.

BALDACCI, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr.

DIAZ-BALART, Mr. FROST, Mr. DIXON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs.

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́, Mr. STUMP, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr.

TIERNEY, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. WALSH, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. GILCHREST, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. LAFALCE, Ms.

SLAUGHTER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. HOBSON, Mr.

FLETCHER, Mr. KUYKENDALL, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CLAY, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. WATKINS, Mr.

DEUTSCH, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. COBURN, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. DOYLE, Mr.

CARDIN, Mr. FATTAH, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. BROWN of

California, Mr. BAKER, Ms. DANNER, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr.

STARK, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. BORSKI, Mr.

PAYNE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COBLE, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr.

MARTINEZ, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. SCHAFFER,

Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WATT

of North Carolina, Mr. TALENT, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. VENTO, Mr.

LUCAS of Oklahoma, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. KIND, Mr. WISE, Mr. BECERRA,

Mr. STEARNS, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. BLI-
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LEY, Mr. FILNER, Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr.

GREENWOOD, Mr. KLINK, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. PASTOR, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. NADLER, Mr. SPENCE,

Mr. RUSH, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ALLEN, Ms. CARSON, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr.

TERRY, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. SESSIONS, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr.

GEJDENSON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. NEY, Mr. HILLIARD,

Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. HANSEN, Mr.

WEXLER, Mr. COYNE, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. LEACH, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. DICKS, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. COOK, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. REGULA, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. LATHAM, Mr.

FARR of California, Mr. JOHN, Mr. OLVER, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr.

SMITH of Washington, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. WOLF,

Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia,

Mr. KING, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. SABO, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mrs. EMERSON, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. CHABOT, Mr.

RAHALL, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. MINGE, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. WAMP, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. GARY MILLER of California, Mr. GANSKE, Ms. GRANGER, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. NORWOOD, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

of Texas, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MATSUI, Mr.

GILLMOR, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. WEINER, Ms. BALDWIN,

Mr. MOORE, Mr. POMBO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. DAVIS of

Illinois, Mr. HOYER, Mr. BERRY, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. QUINN, Mr.

ORTIZ, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. CONDIT) 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 restore

the link between the maximum amount of earnings by

blind individuals permitted without demonstrating ability

to engage in substantial gainful activity and the exempt

amount permitted in determining excess earnings under

the earnings test.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. RESTORATION OF LINK BETWEEN RULES RE2 LATING TO SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY

3 FOR BLIND INDIVIDUALS AND RULES RELAT4 ING TO EXCESS EARNINGS UNDER THE EARN5 INGS TEST.

6 Section 223(d)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42

7 U.S.C. 423(d)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘No indi8 vidual who is blind’’ and all that follows through ‘‘had not

9 been enacted.’’ and inserting ‘‘No individual who is blind

10 shall be regarded as having demonstrated an ability to en11 gage in substantial gainful activity on the basis of earn12 ings that do not exceed an amount equal to the exempt

13 amount under section 203(f)(8) which is applicable to in14 dividuals described in subparagraph (D) thereof.’’.

15 SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

16 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with

17 respect to taxable years ending after 1995.

Æ