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. 
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 ‘‘Purple Heart Freedom 
to Work Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DISABILITY BENEFIT OFFSET FOR PURPLE HEART 
RECIPIENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 223(e) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 423(e)) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(1) No ben-
efit’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) (A) Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), No benefit’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(2) No benefit’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(B) No benefit’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1) of this 
section, in any case in which an individual is entitled to 
a monthly insurance benefit under such subsection based 
on a disability that is attributable to an injury for which 
the individual was awarded the Purple Heart, such indi-
vidual shall be deemed to continue to be entitled to such 
benefit without regard to the individual’s termination 
month, except that payment of such benefit for any month 
shall be subject to the reduction described in subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(B)(i) Any benefit described in subparagraph (A) 
otherwise payable to an individual described in such sub-
paragraph for a month shall be reduced by $1 for each 
$4 by which the individual’s earnings derived from services 
for such month exceeds the amount specified for such 
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month in clause (ii), except that such benefit may not be 
reduced below $0. 
‘‘(ii) The amount specified in this clause with respect 
to an individual for a month is the amount of earnings 
derived from services, applicable to the individual for such 
month under subsection (d)(4)(A), sufficient to dem-
onstrate the individual’s ability to engage in substantial 
gainful activity. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a benefit otherwise payable to 
an individual for a month under section 202 on the basis 
of the wages and self-employment income of an individual 
whose benefit is reduced pursuant to subparagraph (B), 
such benefit shall be reduced for such month by the same 
proportion as the reduction made pursuant to subpara-
graph (B).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 223(a)(2) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(2)) is amended by striking 
‘‘and section 215(b)(2)(A)(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘, section 
215(b)(2)(A)(ii), and subsection (e) of this section’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to benefits payable 
for months beginning after the date that is 6 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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