I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2711 
To provide relief payments for non-COLA years to recipients of Social Secu-
rity, supplemental security income, railroad retirement benefits, and vet-
erans disability compensation or pension benefits. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2011 
Mr. TONKO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide relief payments for non-COLA years to recipients 
of Social Security, supplemental security income, railroad 
retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation 
or pension benefits. 
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 ‘‘Supporting Our Sen-
iors COLA Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. RELIEF PAYMENTS FOR NON-COLA YEARS TO RE-
CIPIENTS OF SOCIAL SECURITY, SUPPLE-
MENTAL SECURITY INCOME, RAILROAD RE-
TIREMENT BENEFITS, AND VETERANS DIS-
ABILITY COMPENSATION OR PENSION BENE-
FITS. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE PAYMENTS.— 
(1) ELIGIBILITY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—For each non-COLA 
year of a program providing benefit payments 
described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subpara-
graph (C) or in subparagraph (D), the Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall disburse a cash 
payment equal to the applicable dollar amount 
for such non-COLA year to each individual 
who, for any month during such year, is enti-
tled to such a benefit payment under such pro-
gram. 
(B) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this 
section— 
(i) 
NON-COLA 
YEAR.—The 
term 
‘‘non-COLA year’’ means, in connection 
with a program referred to in subpara-
graph (A), a 12-month period, ending with 
or during any calendar year after 2009, for 
which— 
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(I) a cost-of-living adjustment is 
generally provided under such pro-
gram in relation to an index; and 
(II) such an adjustment does not 
take effect by reason of the perform-
ance of such index. 
(ii) APPLICABLE DOLLAR AMOUNT.— 
The term ‘‘applicable dollar amount’’ for a 
non-COLA year is— 
(I) in the case of a non-COLA 
year ending with or during 2010 or 
2011 and in the case of a later non- 
COLA year which is not immediately 
preceded by a non-COLA year, $250; 
and 
(II) in the case of a non-COLA 
year ending after 2011 which is im-
mediately preceded by a non-COLA 
year, the applicable dollar amount in 
effect under this clause for such pre-
ceding non-COLA year, plus $50. 
(C) BENEFIT PAYMENT DESCRIBED.—For 
purposes of subparagraph (A)— 
(i) TITLE II BENEFIT.—A benefit pay-
ment described in this clause is a monthly 
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insurance benefit payable (without regard 
to sections 202(j)(1) and 223(b) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(j)(1), 
423(b)) under— 
(I) section 202(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(a)); 
(II) section 202(b) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(b)); 
(III) section 202(c) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(c)); 
(IV) section 202(d)(1)(B)(ii) of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
402(d)(1)(B)(ii)); 
(V) section 202(e) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(e)); 
(VI) section 202(f) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(f)); 
(VII) section 202(g) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(g)); 
(VIII) section 202(h) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(h)); 
(IX) section 223(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 423(a)); 
(X) section 227 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 427); or 
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(XI) section 228 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 428). 
(ii) RAILROAD
RETIREMENT
BEN-
EFIT.—A benefit payment described in this 
clause is a monthly annuity or pension 
payment payable (without regard to section 
5(a)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 
1974 (45 U.S.C. 231d(a)(ii))) under— 
(I) section 2(a)(1) of such Act 
(45 U.S.C. 231a(a)(1)); 
(II) section 2(c) of such Act (45 
U.S.C. 231a(c)); 
(III) section 2(d)(1)(i) of such 
Act (45 U.S.C. 231a(d)(1)(i)); 
(IV) section 2(d)(1)(ii) of such 
Act (45 U.S.C. 231a(d)(1)(ii)); 
(V) section 2(d)(1)(iii)(C) of such 
Act to an adult disabled child (45 
U.S.C. 231a(d)(1)(iii)(C)); 
(VI) section 2(d)(1)(iv) of such 
Act (45 U.S.C. 231a(d)(1)(iv)); 
(VII) section 2(d)(1)(v) of such 
Act (45 U.S.C. 231a(d)(1)(v)); or 
(VIII) section 7(b)(2) of such Act 
(45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(2)) with respect to 
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any of the benefit payments described 
in clause (i) of this subparagraph. 
(iii) VETERANS BENEFIT.—A benefit 
payment described in this clause is a com-
pensation or pension payment payable 
under— 
(I) section 1110, 1117, 1121, 
1131, 1141, or 1151 of title 38, 
United States Code; 
(II) section 1310, 1312, 1313, 
1315, 1316, or 1318 of title 38, 
United States Code; 
(III) section 1513, 1521, 1533, 
1536, 1537, 1541, 1542, or 1562 of 
title 38, United States Code; or 
(IV) section 1805, 1815, or 1821 
of title 38, United States Code, 
to a veteran, surviving spouse, child, or 
parent as described in paragraph (2), (3), 
(4)(A)(ii), or (5) of section 101, title 38, 
United States Code, who received that ben-
efit during any month within the 3 month 
period ending with the month which ends 
prior to the month that includes the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
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(D) SSI CASH BENEFIT DESCRIBED.—An 
SSI cash benefit described in this subparagraph 
is a cash benefit payable under section 1611 
(other than under subsection (e)(1)(B) of such 
section) or 1619(a) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1382, 1382h). 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—A payment shall be made 
under paragraph (1) in connection with a non-COLA 
year only to individuals who reside in 1 of the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American 
Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands. For pur-
poses of the preceding sentence, the determination of 
the individual’s residence shall be based on the cur-
rent address of record as of the beginning of the 
non-COLA year under a program specified in para-
graph (1). 
(3) NO
DOUBLE
PAYMENTS.—An individual 
shall be paid only 1 payment under this section, re-
gardless of whether the individual is entitled to, or 
eligible for, more than 1 benefit or cash payment de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
(4) LIMITATION.—A payment under this section 
shall not be made in connection with a non-COLA 
year— 
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(A) in the case of an individual entitled to 
a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(C)(i) or 
paragraph (1)(C)(ii)(VIII) if, for the last month 
of such individual’s entitlement in the non- 
COLA year, such individual’s benefit under 
such paragraph was not payable by reason of 
subsection (x) or (y) of section 202 of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402) or section 
1129A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8a); 
(B) in the case of an individual entitled to 
a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(C)(iii) if, 
for the last month of such individual’s entitle-
ment in the non-COLA year, such individual’s 
benefit under such paragraph was not payable, 
or was reduced, by reason of section 1505, 
5313, or 5313B of title 38, United States Code; 
(C) in the case of an individual entitled to 
a benefit specified in paragraph (1)(D) if, for 
last month of such individual’s entitlement in 
the non-COLA year, such individual’s benefit 
under such paragraph was not payable by rea-
son of subsection (e)(1)(A) or (e)(4) of section 
1611 (42 U.S.C. 1382) or section 1129A of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8a); or 
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(D) in the case of any individual whose 
date of death occurs before the date on which 
the individual is certified under subsection (b) 
to receive a payment under this section. 
(5) TIMING AND MANNER OF PAYMENTS.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall commence disbursing 
payments under this section with respect to a non- 
COLA year— 
(A) in the case of a non-COLA year ending 
with or during 2010 or 2011, not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act; and 
(B) in the case of a non-COLA year end-
ing after 2010, at the earliest practicable date 
but in no event later than 90 days after the 
later of the date of the enactment of this Act 
or the end of such non-COLA year. 
The Secretary of the Treasury may disburse any 
payment electronically to an individual in such man-
ner as if such payment was a benefit payment or 
cash benefit to such individual under the applicable 
program described in subparagraph (C) or (D) of 
paragraph (1). 
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF RECIPIENTS.—The Commis-
sioner of Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, 
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