I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 173
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to increase the level of earnings 
under which no individual who is blind is determined to have dem-
onstrated an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity for purposes 
of determining disability. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2003
Mr. REYNOLDS 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 increase 
the level of earnings under which no individual who is 
blind is determined to have demonstrated an ability to 
engage in substantial gainful activity for purposes of 
determining disability.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
The Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blind Empowerment 
Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT DEMONSTRATING SUBSTAN-
TIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY IN THE CASE OF 
BLIND INDIVIDUALS. 
Section 223(d)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 423(d)(4)) is amended—
(1) by striking the second sentence of subpara-
graph (A); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C)(i) No individual who is blind shall be regarded 
as having demonstrated an ability to engage in substantial 
gainful activity on the basis of monthly earnings in any 
taxable year that do not exceed an amount equal to—
‘‘(I) in the case of earnings in the taxable year 
beginning after December 31, 2002, and before Jan-
uary 1, 2004, $1,330 per month; 
‘‘(II) in the case of earnings in the taxable year 
beginning after December 31, 2003, and before Jan-
uary 1, 2005, $1,720 per month; 
‘‘(III) in the case of earnings in the taxable 
year beginning after December 31, 2004, and before 
January 1, 2006, $2,110 per month; 
‘‘(IV) in the case of earnings in the taxable 
year beginning after December 31, 2005, and before 
January 1, 2007, $2,500.00 per month; and
‘‘(V) in the case of earnings in taxable years be-
ginning after December 31, 2006, the dollar amount 
determined for purposes of this clause under clause 
(ii). 
‘‘(ii) The Commissioner of Social Security shall, on 
or before November 1 of 2006 and of every year there-
after, determine and publish in the Federal Register the 
monthly dollar amount for purposes of clause (i) in the 
case of taxable years beginning with or during the suc-
ceeding calendar year. Such dollar amount shall be the 
larger of—
‘‘(I) the monthly dollar amount in effect under 
clause (i) for taxable years beginning with or during 
the calendar year in which the determination under 
this clause is made, or 
‘‘(II) the product of $2,500 and the ratio of the 
national average wage index (as defined in section 
209(k)(1)) for the calendar year before the year in 
which the determination under this clause is made 
to the national average wage index (as so defined) 
for 2004, 
with such product, if not a multiple of $10, being 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.’’.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 
2002.
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