H. R. 5483
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and six 
An Act 
To increase the disability earning limitation under the Railroad Retirement Act 
and to index the amount of allowable earnings consistent with increases in the 
substantial gainful activity dollar amount under the Social Security Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Railroad Retirement Disability 
Earnings Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REFORM OF DISABILITY EARNINGS LIMITATION PROVISIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2(e)(4) of the Railroad Retirement 
Act of 1974 is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘$400 in earnings’’ in the first sentence 
and inserting ‘‘the monthly allowable earnings as defined in 
the section’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘$4,800’’ in the fourth sentence and inserting 
‘‘the amount of earnings computed by totaling the monthly 
allowable earnings as determined under this section for each 
month in the year’’; and 
(3) by striking the fifth sentence and inserting ‘‘If the 
total amount of such individual’s earnings during such year 
(exclusive of earnings for services as described in subdivision 
(3) and after deduction of disability related work expenses) 
is in excess of the annual allowable earnings amount, the 
number of months in such year with respect to which an 
annuity is not payable by reason of the first and third sentences 
shall not exceed the number of months derived by dividing 
the amount by which such annual earnings exceed the annual 
allowable earnings amount by the monthly allowable earning 
amount determined under this section. If the computation 
under the preceding sentence results in a remainder greater 
than or equal to one-half, the number of months for which 
an annuity is not payable as determined under the preceding 
sentence shall be increased by one. The annual allowable 
earnings amount shall be computed by totaling the amount 
of monthly allowable earnings as determined under the first 
sentence of this subdivision for each month in the calender 
year. If the amount of the individual’s annuity has changed 
during the calendar year, any payment of annuities which 
become payable solely by reason of the limitations in the pre-
ceding three sentences shall be made first with respect to 
the month or months for which the annuity is larger. For 
purposes of this subdivision, ‘the monthly allowable earnings’
H. R. 5483—2
shall be $700, except that for each year after 2007, ‘the monthly 
allowable earnings’ amount shall be the larger of the amount 
for the previous year or the amount calculated by multiplying 
$700 by the ratio of the national average wage index for the 
year 2 calender years before the year for which the amount 
is being calculated to the national average wage index for 
the year 2005. The amount so computed will be rounded to 
the next higher multiple of $10 where such amount is a multiple 
of $5 but not of $10 and to the nearest multiple of $10 in 
any other case.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section 
take effect January 1, 2007.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.