I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5050 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to make various reforms to 
Social Security, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 17, 2021 
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin 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 make various 
reforms to Social Security, 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 ‘‘Social Security En-
hancement and Protection Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN SPECIAL MINIMUM BENEFIT FOR 
LIFETIME LOW EARNERS BASED ON YEARS IN 
THE WORKFORCE. 
Section 215(a)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 415(a)(1)(C)) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(C)(i) Effective with respect to the benefits of indi-
viduals who become eligible for old-age insurance benefits 
or disability insurance benefits (or die before becoming so 
eligible) after 2021, no primary insurance amount com-
puted under subparagraph (A) may be less than the appli-
cable percentage of 1⁄12 of the annual dollar amount deter-
mined under clause (iv) for the year in which the amount 
is determined. 
‘‘(ii) For purposes of clause (i), the applicable per-
centage is the percentage specified in connection with the 
number of years of work, as set forth in the following 
table: 
‘‘If the number of 
The applicable 
years of work is: 
percentage is: 
11 ......................................................................................
36.7 percent
12 ......................................................................................
40.0 percent
13 ......................................................................................
43.3 percent
14 ......................................................................................
46.7 percent
15 ......................................................................................
50.0 percent
16 ......................................................................................
53.3 percent
17 ......................................................................................
56.7 percent
18 ......................................................................................
60.0 percent
19 ......................................................................................
63.3 percent
20 ......................................................................................
66.7 percent
21 ......................................................................................
70.0 percent
22 ......................................................................................
73.3 percent
23 ......................................................................................
76.7 percent
24 ......................................................................................
80.0 percent
25 ......................................................................................
83.3 percent
26 ......................................................................................
86.7 percent
27 ......................................................................................
90.0 percent
28 ......................................................................................
93.3 percent
29 ......................................................................................
96.7 percent
30 or more ........................................................................
100.0 percent. 
‘‘(iii) The annual dollar amount determined under 
this clause is— 
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‘‘(I) for calendar year 2022, the poverty guide-
line for 2021; and 
‘‘(II) for any calendar year after 2022, the an-
nual dollar amount for 2022 multiplied by the ratio 
of— 
‘‘(aa) the national average wage index (as 
defined in section 209(k)(1)) for the second cal-
endar year preceding the calendar year for 
which the determination is made, to 
‘‘(bb) the national average wage index (as 
so defined) for 2020. 
‘‘(iv) For purposes of this subparagraph— 
‘‘(I) the term ‘number of years of work’ means, 
with respect to an individual, the sum of— 
‘‘(aa) 1⁄4 of the total number of quarters of 
coverage credited to such individual (dis-
regarding any fraction); and 
‘‘(bb) the number of years (not exceeding 
5) in all of which the individual provided care 
for a child under 6 years of age who resided in 
the individual’s home; and 
‘‘(II) the term ‘poverty guideline for 2019’ 
means the annual poverty guideline for 2021 (as up-
dated annually in the Federal Register by the De-
partment of Health and Human Services under the 
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authority of section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1981) as applicable to a single 
individual’’. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INCREASED BENEFIT FOR 
BENEFICIARIES ON ACCOUNT OF LONG-TERM 
ELIGIBILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 202 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 402) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(aa) INCREASE IN BENEFIT AMOUNTS ON ACCOUNT 
OF LONG-TERM ELIGIBILITY.—(1) In the case of an indi-
vidual who is a qualified beneficiary for a calendar year 
after 2021, the amount of any monthly insurance benefit 
of such qualified beneficiary under this section or section 
223 for any month in such calendar year shall be in-
creased in accordance with paragraph (3). 
‘‘(2)(A) For purposes of this subsection, the term 
‘qualified beneficiary’ for a calendar year means an indi-
vidual in any case in which such calendar year begins at 
least 16 years after the applicable date of eligibility for 
such individual. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of this subsection, the applicable 
date of eligibility for an individual is the date on which 
the individual on whose wages and self-employment in-
come the monthly insurance benefit is based initially be-
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came eligible (or died before becoming eligible) for old- 
age insurance benefits under subsection (a) or disability 
insurance benefits under section 223. 
‘‘(3)(A) The increase required under paragraph (1) 
with respect to the monthly insurance benefit of an indi-
vidual who is a qualified beneficiary for a calendar year 
shall be equal to the applicable percentage (specified for 
such benefit in subparagraph (B)) of the full increase 
amount for such calendar year (determined under sub-
paragraph (C)). 
‘‘(B) The applicable percentage specified for a 
monthly insurance benefit under this subparagraph for a 
calendar year is the percentage specified, in connection 
with the number of years ending after the applicable date 
of eligibility for such individual and before such calendar 
year, in the following table: 
The applicable 
‘‘If the number of years is: 
percentage is: 
16 ......................................................................................
20 percent
17 ......................................................................................
40 percent
18 ......................................................................................
60 percent
19 ......................................................................................
80 percent
20 or larger .......................................................................
100 percent. 
‘‘(C)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), the full in-
crease amount determined under this subparagraph for a 
calendar year in connection with the monthly insurance 
benefit of a qualified beneficiary is a dollar amount equal 
to 5 percent of the amount of the benefit if— 
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‘‘(I) such benefit were based on the primary in-
surance amount determined for January of such cal-
endar year of a putative individual; 
‘‘(II) on January 1 of the calendar year in 
which occurred the applicable eligibility date with re-
spect to such individual, such putative individual 
were fully insured, attained retirement age (as de-
fined in section 216(l)(2)) and were otherwise eligi-
ble for, and applied for, old-age insurance benefits; 
and 
‘‘(III) such putative individual’s average in-
dexed monthly earnings taken into account in deter-
mining such primary insurance amount were equal 
to 1⁄12 of the national average wage index (as de-
fined in section 209(k)(1)) for the second year prior 
to such calendar year. 
‘‘(ii)(I) In the case of a monthly insurance benefit 
under subsection (b) or (c), the full increase amount deter-
mined under this subparagraph shall be one-half the 
amount determined under clause (i); or 
‘‘(II) in the case of a monthly insurance benefit under 
subsection (d), (g), or (h), the full increase amount deter-
mined under this subparagraph shall be the percentage of 
the amount determined under clause (i) equal to the ratio 
which the amount of such benefit bears to the primary 
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insurance amount (before the application of section 
203(a)) of the individual on whose wages and self-employ-
ment income the monthly insurance benefit is based. 
‘‘(4) In the case of a qualified beneficiary who is enti-
tled to two or more monthly insurance benefits under this 
title for the same month— 
‘‘(A) the earliest applicable date of eligibility for 
such beneficiary with respect to such benefits shall 
be treated as the applicable date of eligibility for 
such beneficiary for the purposes of this subsection; 
and 
‘‘(B) such beneficiary shall be entitled to an in-
crease with respect only to one such benefit. 
‘‘(5) This subsection shall be applied to monthly in-
surance benefits after any increase under subsection (w) 
and any applicable reductions and deductions under this 
title. 
‘‘(6) In any case in which an individual is entitled 
to benefits under both this section and section 223, the 
increase under this subsection shall be paid from the Fed-
eral Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 202 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 402) is 
amended— 
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(A) in the last sentence of subsection (a), 
by striking ‘‘subsection (q) and subsection (w)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsections (q), (w), and (aa)’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘sub-
sections (k)(5) and (q)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
sections (k)(5), (q), and (aa)’’; 
(C) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘sub-
sections (k)(5) and (q)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
sections (k)(5), (q), and (aa)’’; 
(D) in subsection (d)(2), by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘This paragraph shall apply 
subject to subsection (aa).’’; 
(E) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking 
‘‘subsection (k)(5), subsection (q), and subpara-
graph (D) of this paragraph’’ and inserting 
‘‘subsection (k)(5), subsection (q), subsection 
(aa), and subparagraph (D) of this paragraph’’; 
(F) in subsection (f)(2)(A), by striking 
‘‘subsection (k)(5), subsection (q), and subpara-
graph (D) of this paragraph’’ and inserting 
‘‘subsection (k)(5), subsection (q), subsection 
(aa), and subparagraph (D) of this paragraph’’; 
(G) in subsection (g)(2), by striking 
‘‘Such’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in 
subsections (k)(5) and (aa), such’’; 
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(H) in subsection (h)(2)(A), by inserting 
‘‘and subsection (aa)’’ after ‘‘subparagraphs 
(B) and (C)’’; and 
(I) in section 223(a)(2), by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 202(q)’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 202(q) and 
202(aa)’’. 
(2) Section 209(k)(1) of such Act (402 U.S.C. 
409(k)(1)) 
is 
amended 
by 
inserting 
‘‘202(aa)(3)(C)(i)(II),’’ before ‘‘203(f)(8)(B)(ii)’’. 
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CHILD’S BENEFIT FOR FULL-TIME 
POST-SECONDARY 
SCHOOL 
STUDENTS 
UNDER AGE 26. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(d)(1)(B) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(d)(1)(B)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(B) at the time such application was filed 
was unmarried and— 
‘‘(i) had not attained the age of 18, 
‘‘(ii) was a full-time elementary or 
secondary school student and had not at-
tained the age of 19, 
‘‘(iii) was a full-time post-secondary 
school student and had not attained the 
age of 26, or 
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‘‘(iv) is under a disability (as defined 
in section 223(d)) which began before he 
attained the age of 22, and’’. 
(b) DEFINITION OF FULL-TIME POST-SECONDARY 
SCHOOL STUDENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(d)(7) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 402(d)(7)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘and a ‘full-time post- 
secondary school student’ is an individual 
who is in full-time attendance as a student 
at a post-secondary educational institu-
tion’’ before ‘‘, as determined by the Com-
missioner’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or a ‘full-time post- 
secondary school student’ ’’ before ‘‘if he is 
paid by his employer’’; 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘or a post-secondary 
educational institution, as applicable,’’ be-
fore ‘‘at the request’’; 
(iv) by inserting ‘‘or a ‘full-time post- 
secondary school student’ ’’ before ‘‘for the 
purpose of this section’’; and 
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(v) by inserting ‘‘or a full-time post- 
secondary school student’’ before ‘‘shall be 
deemed’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘or a full-time post- 
secondary school student’’ after ‘‘student’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or a post-secondary 
educational institution, as applicable’’ be-
fore ‘‘at which he has been’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘an elementary or sec-
ondary school’’ in each of the second and 
third places in which such term appears 
and inserting ‘‘such a school’’. 
(2) TRANSITION FROM ELEMENTARY OR SEC-
ONDARY SCHOOL.—Section 202(d)(7)(B) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(d)(7)(B)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following sentence: ‘‘An individual who 
has been in full-time attendance at an elementary or 
secondary school shall, during a succeeding period of 
nonattendance at such school, be deemed to be a 
full-time secondary-school student if (i) such period 
is 4 calendar months or less, and (ii) the individual 
shows to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that 
he intends to be in full-time attendance at a post- 
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secondary educational institution immediately fol-
lowing such period.’’ 
(c) DEFINITION OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL 
INSTITUTION.—Section 202(d)(7)(C) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(d)(7)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(iii) A ‘post-secondary educational 
institution’ is a school or college or univer-
sity that provides post-secondary education 
and— 
‘‘(I) is operated or directly sup-
ported by the United States, or by 
any State or local government or po-
litical subdivision thereof, 
‘‘(II) has been approved by a 
State or accredited by a State-recog-
nized or nationally recognized accred-
iting agency or body, or 
‘‘(III) whose credits are accepted, 
on transfer, by not less than three in-
stitutions which are so accredited, for 
credit on the same basis as if trans-
ferred from an institution so accred-
ited.’’. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
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(1) Section 202(d)(1)(E) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(d)(1)(E)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or a 
full-time post-secondary school student’’ after ‘‘stu-
dent’’. 
(2) Section 202(d)(1)(F) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(d)(1)(F)) is amended by striking ‘‘the 
earlier of—’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the age 
of 19,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘the earlier of— 
‘‘(i) the first month during no part of 
which the child is a full-time elementary or 
secondary school student or a full-time 
post-secondary school student, 
‘‘(ii) the month in which the child at-
tains the age of 19, but only if the child 
is not a full-time post-secondary school 
student during any part of such month, or 
‘‘(iii) the month in which the child at-
tains the age of 26,’’. 
(3) Section 202(d)(1)(G) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(d)(1)(G)) is amended by striking ‘‘(if 
later)’’ and all that follows through the ‘‘the age of 
19,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘(if later) the ear-
lier of— 
‘‘(i) the first month during no part of 
which the child is a full-time elementary or 
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