I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2589
To improve benefits under title II of the Social Security Act and to increase
the social security benefit and contribution base.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 1, 1993
Mr. JACOBS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means
A BILL
To improve benefits under title II of the Social Security
Act and to increase the social security benefit and con-
tribution base.
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 ‘‘Social Security Bene-
fits Improvement Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENTS IN EXEMPT AMOUNT FOR PURPOSES
OF THE RETIREMENT TEST.
(a) INCREASE IN EXEMPT AMOUNT FOR INDIVID-
UALS WHO HAVE ATTAINED RETIREMENT AGE.—Section
203(f)(8)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
403(f)(8)(D)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(D)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of
this subsection, the exempt amount which is applica-
ble to an individual who has attained retirement age
(as defined in section 216(1)) before the close of the
taxable year involved shall be—
‘‘(I) for the taxable year beginning after
1993 and before 1995, $1,000.00,
‘‘(II) for the taxable year beginning after
1994 and before 1996, $1,166.662⁄3,
‘‘(III) for the taxable year beginning after
1995 and before 1997, $1,333.331⁄3,
‘‘(IV) for the taxable year beginning after
1996 and before 1998, $1,500.00, and
‘‘(V) for the taxable year beginning after
1997 and before 1999, $1,666.662⁄3.
‘‘(ii) For purposes of subparagraph (B)(ii)(II),
the increase in the exempt amount provided under
clause (i)(V) shall be deemed to have resulted from
a determination which shall be deemed to have been
made under subparagraph (A) in 1997.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The second sen-
tence of section 223(d)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
423(d)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘the exempt amount
under section 203(f)(8) which is applicable to individuals
described in subparagraph (D) thereof’’ and inserting the
following: ‘‘an amount equal to the exempt amount which
would have been applicable under section 203(f)(8), to in-
dividuals described in subparagraph (D) thereof, if section
2 of the Social Security Benefits Improvement Act of 1993
had not been enacted’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply with respect to taxable years begin-
ning after 1993.
SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT IN RATE OF ACTUARIAL REDUCTION
IN AMOUNT OF WIDOW’S AND WIDOWER’S IN-
SURANCE BENEFITS SO AS TO REDUCE MAXI-
MUM REDUCTIONS TO 25 PERCENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(q)(1)(A) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(q)(1)(A)) is amended by
striking ‘‘19⁄40 of 1 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘5⁄12 of 1 per-
cent’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Section 202(q)(9) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(q)(9)) is amended by striking ‘‘28.5 percent’’
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘25.0 percent’’.
(2) Section 202(q)(10) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
402(q)(10)) is amended by striking ‘‘19⁄40 of 1 per-
cent’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘5⁄12 of 1
percent’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE AND TRANSITION RULE.—
(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made
by this section shall apply with respect to benefits
for months after January 1994.
(2) TRANSITION RULE.—Section 1634 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383c) is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(e)(1) In the case of any eligible widow or widower
(as defined in paragraph (2)) who is entitled to a widow’s
or widower’s insurance benefit under section 202 (e) or
(f) for any month but is not eligible for benefits under
this title in that month—
‘‘(A) such eligible widow or widower shall be
deemed for purposes of title XIX to be an individual
with respect to whom supplemental security income
benefits are paid under this title in that month, if
he or she would be eligible for such benefits in the
month involved if the amount of the increase de-
scribed in paragraph (2)(B) in his or her widow’s or
widower’s insurance benefits (and any subsequent
cost-of-living adjustments in such benefits under sec-
tion 215(i)) were disregarded, and
‘‘(B) such eligible widow or widower shall be
deemed for purposes of title XIX to be an individual
with respect to whom State supplementary pay-
ments, of the type referred to in section 1616(a) of
this Act or in section 212(a) of Public Law 93–66
which are paid by the Secretary under an agreement
referred to in such section 1616(a) or in section
212(b) of Public Law 93–66, are paid in that
month, if he or she would be eligible for such pay-
ments in the month involved if the amount of the in-
crease described in paragraph (2)(B) in his or her
widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits (and any
subsequent cost-of-living adjustments in such bene-
fits under section 215(i)) were disregarded.
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘eligible
widow or widower’ means an individual—
‘‘(A) who is entitled to a widow’s or widower’s
insurance benefit under section 202 (e) or (f) for
January 1994 and with respect to whom a benefit
under this title was paid in that month, and
‘‘(B) who, because of the increase in the
amount of his or her widow’s or widower’s insurance
benefits which results from the amendments made
by subsections (a) and (b) of section 3 of the Social
Security Benefits Improvement Act of 1993, is not
eligible for benefits under this title in the first
month in which such increase is paid to him or her
(and in which a retroactive payment of such increase
for prior months was not made).
‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘bene-
fit under this title’ means a supplemental security income
benefit under this title, and a State supplementary pay-
ment of the type referred to in section 1616(a) (or a pay-
ment of the type referred to in section 212(a) of Public
Law 93–66) which is paid by the Secretary under an
agreement referred to in section 1616(a) (or in section
212(b) of Public Law 93–66).’’.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF 7-YEAR RESTRICTION ON ELIGIBILITY
FOR WIDOW’S AND WIDOWER’S INSURANCE
BENEFITS BASED ON DISABILITY.
(a) WIDOW’S INSURANCE BENEFITS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(e) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking
‘‘which began before the end of the period spec-
ified in paragraph (4)’’;
(B) in paragraph (1)(F)(ii), by striking
‘‘(I) in the period specified in paragraph (4)
and (II)’’;