I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2180
To require the establishment of regional consumer price indices to compute
cost-of-living increases under the programs for Social Security and Medi-
care and other medical benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social
Security Act.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 10, 1999
Mr. WEINER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Com-
merce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the establishment of regional consumer price indi-
ces to compute cost-of-living increases under the pro-
grams for Social Security and Medicare and other med-
ical benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social
Security Act.
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 ‘‘COLA Fairness Act
of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. REGIONAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.
(a) RECOGNITION
OF REGIONS.—The Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor shall estab-
lish and publish a mapping of the United States under
which 14 regions are recognized comprising the United
States. Each region shall include one of the cities listed
in subsection (b).
(b) SPECIFIED CITIES.—The cities specified in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Atlanta, Georgia;
(2) Boston, Massachusetts;
(3) Chicago, Illinois;
(4) Cleveland, Ohio;
(5) Dallas, Texas;
(6) Detroit, Michigan;
(7) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
(8) Houston, Texas;
(9) Los Angeles, California;
(10) Miami, Florida;
(11) New York, New York;
(12) San Francisco, California;
(13) Seattle, Washington; and
(14) Washington, District of Columbia.
(c) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
REGIONAL
CONSUMER
PRICE INDICES.—The Bureau shall establish and publish
for each region recognized pursuant to subsection (a) a
monthly index for the region, to be known as the ‘‘Re-
gional Consumer Price Index’’ for the region, that indi-
cates changes over time in expenditures for consumption
which are typical for individuals residing in the region.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The preceding provisions of
this section shall apply with respect to calendar months
beginning on or after January 1, 2001.
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec-
essary to carry out the provisions of this section.
SEC. 3. COMPUTATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY COST-OF-LIV-
ING INCREASES.
(a) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE II.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (1)(G), by inserting be-
fore the period the following: ‘‘, and, with re-
spect to an individual who, at the time he ini-
tially becomes eligible for old-age insurance
benefits or disability insurance benefits (or dies
before initially becoming so eligible), resides in
a region of the United States recognized by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics pursuant to section
2(a) of the COLA Fairness Act of 1999, the
applicable Consumer Price Index shall be
deemed to be the Regional Consumer Price
Index for such region’’; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and by
section 9001’’ and inserting ‘‘, by section
9001’’, and by inserting after ‘‘1986,’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘and by section 3(a) of the COLA Fair-
ness Act of 1999,’’.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO
APPLICABLE
FORMER
LAW.—Section 215(i)(4) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(4)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘For pur-
poses of computing adjustments under this sub-
section as so in effect, the applicable Consumer
Price Index shall be deemed to be the Regional Con-
sumer Price Index for the region in which such indi-
vidual resides at the time he becomes eligible for old-
age insurance benefits or disability insurance bene-
fits (or dies before initially becoming so eligible).’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply to determinations made by the
Commissioner of Social Security under section 215(i)(2)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)) with re-
spect to cost-of-living computation quarters ending on or
after September 30 of the second calendar year following
the calendar year in which this Act is enacted.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE XVIII OF THE SOCIAL SE-
CURITY ACT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title XVIII of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 1814(i)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘(i)
for accounting years ending before October 1 of the
second calendar year following the calendar year in
which the COLA Fairness Act of 1999 was en-
acted,’’ after ‘‘for a year is’’, and by inserting after
‘‘fifth month of the accounting year’’ the following:
‘‘, and (ii) for accounting years ending after October
1 of such calendar year, the cap amount determined
under clause (i) for the last accounting year referred
to in such clause, increased or decreased by the
same percentage as the percentage increase or de-
crease, respectively, in the medical care expenditure
category (or corresponding category) of the applica-
ble consumer price index, published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, from March of such calendar
year to the fifth month of the accounting year’’;
(2) in section 1833(h)(2)(A)(i), by striking
‘‘Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(United States city average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable
consumer price index’’;
(3) in section 1833(i)(2)(C), by striking ‘‘con-
sumer price index for all urban consumers (U.S. city
average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable consumer price
index’’;
(4) in section 1834(a)(14)(D), by striking ‘‘con-
sumer price index for all urban consumers (United
States city average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable con-
sumer price index’’;
(5) in section 1834(h)(4)(A)(vi), by striking
‘‘consumer price index for all urban consumers
(United States city average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable
consumer price index’’;
(6) in section 1834(l)(3)(A), by striking ‘‘con-
sumer price index for all urban consumers (U.S. city
average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable consumer price
index’’;
(7) in section 1834(l)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘con-
sumer price index for all urban consumers (U.S. city
average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable consumer price
index’’;
(8) in section 1842(s)(1), by striking ‘‘con-
sumer price index for all urban consumers (United
States city average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable con-
sumer price index’’; and
(9) in section 1886(h)(5)(B), by striking ‘‘Con-
sumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (United
States city average)’’ and insert ‘‘applicable con-
sumer price index’’.
(b) DEFINITION OF APPLICABLE CONSUMER PRICE
INDEX.—Section 1861 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘Applicable Consumer Price Index
‘‘(uu) The term ‘applicable consumer price index’
means, in connection with any person affected by an ad-
justment to be made under this title based on such index,
the Regional Consumer Price Index (as prescribed from
time to time by the Bureau of Labor Statistics pursuant
to section 2(c) of the COLA Fairness Act of 1999) for
the region in which such person resides (in the case of
an individual) or maintains principal offices (in any other
case) at the time the adjustment takes effect. The Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall prescribe by
regulation, in connection with each requirement for an ad-
justment under this title based a Regional Consumer Price
Index, the manner in which such adjustment is to be de-
termined to affect particular persons for purposes of this
subsection.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply with respect to determinations
made for periods ending after December 31 of the second
calendar year following the calendar year in which this Act
was enacted.
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