I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5342 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide a midyear cost- 
of-living increase to account for the lack of an automatic increase for 
2016, to apply the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI–E) 
to future Social Security COLAs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2016 
Mr. NOLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide 
a midyear cost-of-living increase to account for the lack 
of an automatic increase for 2016, to apply the Con-
sumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI–E) to future 
Social Security COLAs, 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 ‘‘Fair COLA for Seniors 
Act of 2016’’. 
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SEC. 2. ONE-TIME COST-OF-LIVING (COLA) INCREASE FOR 
CALENDAR YEAR 2016. 
(a) 3.9% COLA PROVIDED TO MATCH RECENT 
GROWTH IN CEO PAY.—Effective with the month of June 
2016, the Commissioner of Social Security shall increase 
each of the amounts described in subclauses (I) through 
(III) of section 215(i)(2)(A)(ii) of the Social Security Act 
by 3.9 percent. 
(b) NO EFFECT ON ANNUAL COST-OF-LIVING IN-
CREASES.—For purposes of applying subparagraphs (A) 
and (B) of section 215(i)(1) of the Social Security Act 
in calendar years 2016 and 2017, the increase under sub-
section (a) shall not be considered a general benefit in-
crease under title II of the Social Security Act. 
SEC. 3. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ELDERLY CON-
SUMERS. 
(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 
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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: 
‘‘(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
AMENDMENT.—Section 
215(i)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)(4)), as amended by section 2(a)(3) of this 
Act, is further amended by striking ‘‘section 2’’ and 
inserting ‘‘sections 2 and 3’’. 
(c) NO EFFECT ON ADJUSTMENTS UNDER OTHER 
LAWS.—Section 215(i) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 415(i)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) Any provision of law (other than in this title, 
title VIII, or title XVI) which provides for adjustment of 
an amount based on a change in benefit amounts resulting 
from a determination made under this subsection shall be 
applied and administered without regard to the amend-
ments made by section 3 of the Fair COLA for Seniors 
Act of 2016.’’. 
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(d) 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 July of the calendar year fol-
lowing the calendar year in which this Act is enacted, and 
such index shall be known as the ‘‘Consumer Price Index 
for Elderly Consumers’’. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to determinations 
made under section 215(i)(2)(A)(i) of the Social Security 
Act with respect to base quarters occurring in 2016 or 
later. 
Æ 
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