I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3443 

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 20, 2021 

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. TURNER, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. STEWART, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. RICE of South Carolina, Mr. 

KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. LAMB, Mr. C. 

SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, Mr. BACON, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. 

BUCHANAN, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. PALAZZO, Mrs. 

RODGERS of Washington, and Mr. WALTZ) 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’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DISABILITY BENEFIT OFFSET FOR PURPLE HEART 

2 RECIPIENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 223(e) of the Social Secu4 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 423(e)) is amended— 

5 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(1) No ben6 efit’’ and inserting ‘‘(1)(A) Except as provided in 

7 paragraph (2), No benefit’’; 

8 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘(2) No benefit’’ and in10 serting ‘‘(B) No benefit’’; and 

11 (B) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and in12 serting ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’; and 

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

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

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

16 a monthly insurance benefit under such subsection based 

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

18 the individual was awarded the Purple Heart, such indi19 vidual shall be deemed to continue to be entitled to such 

20 benefit without regard to the individual’s termination 

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

22 shall be subject to the reduction described in subpara23 graph (B). 

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

25 otherwise payable to an individual described in such sub26 paragraph for a month shall be reduced by $1 for each 


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1 $4 by which the individual’s earnings derived from services 

2 for such month exceeds the amount specified for such 

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

4 reduced below $0. 

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

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

7 derived from services, applicable to the individual for such 

8 month under subsection (d)(4)(A), sufficient to dem9 onstrate the individual’s ability to engage in substantial 

10 gainful activity. 

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

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

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

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

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

16 proportion as the reduction made pursuant to subpara17 graph (B).’’. 

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

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

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

21 215(b)(2)(A)(ii), and subsection (e) of this section’’. 

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

23 this section shall apply with respect to benefits payable 

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

25 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 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to benefits payable 

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

13 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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