I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5275 
To require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Con-
sumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits 
under title II of the Social Security Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2010 
Mr. SESTAK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index 
for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases 
for Social Security benefits under title II 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 ‘‘Seniors Purchasing 
Power Protection Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ELDERLY CON-
SUMERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Bureau of Labor Statistics 
of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish an 
index for each calendar month to be known as the ‘‘Con-
sumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers’’ that indicates 
changes over time in expenditures for consumption which 
are typical for individuals in the United States who are 
62 years of age or older. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (a) shall apply 
with respect to calendar months ending on or after July 
31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in 
which this Act is enacted. 
(c) 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 COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES FOR 
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(G), by inserting before the 
period the following: ‘‘, and, solely with respect to 
any monthly insurance benefit payable under this 
title to an individual who has attained age 62, effec-
tive for adjustments under this subsection to the pri-
mary insurance amount on which such benefit is 
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based (or to any such benefit under section 227 or 
228) occurring after such individual attains such 
age, the applicable Consumer Price Index shall be 
deemed to be the Consumer Price Index for Elderly 
Consumers and such primary insurance amount 
shall be deemed adjusted under this subsection using 
such Index’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and by sec-
tion 9001’’ and inserting ‘‘, by section 9001’’, and 
by inserting after ‘‘1986,’’ the following: ‘‘and by 
section 3(a) of the Consumer Price Index for Elderly 
Consumers Act,’’. 
(b) CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS
IN
APPLICABLE 
FORMER LAW.—Section 215(i)(1)(C) of the Social Secu-
rity Act, as in effect in December 1978 and applied in 
certain cases under the provisions of such Act in effect 
after December 1978, is amended by inserting before the 
period the following: ‘‘, and, solely with respect to any 
monthly insurance benefit payable under this title to an 
individual who has attained age 62, effective for adjust-
ments under this subsection to the primary insurance 
amount on which such benefit is based (or to any such 
benefit under section 227 or 228) occurring after such in-
dividual attains such age, the applicable Consumer Price 
Index shall be deemed to be the Consumer Price Index 
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