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 consider-
ation 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Emergency 
Social Security Cost of Living Increase Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective with the month of No-
vember 2020, the Commissioner of Social Security shall 
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increase each of the amounts described in subclauses (I) 
through (III) of section 215(i)(2)(A)(ii) of the Social Se-
curity Act by not less than 3 percent. 
(b) TREATMENT OF INCREASE.—For purposes of ap-
plying subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 215(i)(1) of 
the Social Security Act in calendar year 2020, the increase 
under subsection (a) shall be treated as a general benefit 
increase under title II of the Social Security Act. 
SEC. 3. COMPUTATION OF COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES 
BASED ON CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR EL-
DERLY CONSUMERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i)(1) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(H) the term ‘Consumer Price Index’ means 
the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers 
(CPI–E, as published by the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics of the Department of Labor).’’. 
(b) APPLICATION TO PRE-1979 LAW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i)(1) of the So-
cial Security Act as in effect in December 1978, and 
as applied in certain cases under the provisions of 
such Act as in effect after December 1978, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
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‘‘(D) the term ‘Consumer Price Index’ means 
the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers 
(CPI–E, as published by the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics of the Department of Labor).’’. 
(2) CONFORMING CHANGE.—Section 215(i)(4) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(4)) is 
amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and by section 9001’’ and 
inserting ‘‘, section 9001’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and section 3 of the 
COVID–19 Emergency Social Security Cost of 
Living Increase Act of 2020,’’ after ‘‘1986,’’. 
(c) PUBLICATION OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR 
ELDERLY CONSUMERS.—The Bureau of Labor Statistics 
of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish the 
index authorized by section 191 of the Older Americans 
Amendments Act of 1987 (29 U.S.C. 2 note) for each cal-
endar month, beginning with the date of enactment of this 
Act, and such index shall be known as the ‘‘Consumer 
Price Index for Elderly Consumers’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to determinations made with re-
spect to cost-of-living computation quarters (as defined in 
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section 215(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)(1)(B))) ending on or after September 30, 2021. 
Æ 
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