I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7499 
To prevent an unintended drop in Social Security benefits due to COVID- 
19 and the application of the National Average Wage Index, and improve 
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits on an emer-
gency basis. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2020 
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. NEAL, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. THOMP-
SON of California, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. DANNY K. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Ms. SEWELL 
of Alabama, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. MOORE, 
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. BEYER, Mr. 
EVANS, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 
COURTNEY, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. NADLER, Ms. SHALALA, Mr. 
MORELLE, Mr. KILMER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. CISNEROS, 
Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SMITH of Washington, and Mr. RYAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To prevent an unintended drop in Social Security benefits 
due to COVID-19 and the application of the National 
Average Wage Index, and improve Social Security and 
Supplemental Security Income benefits on an emergency 
basis. 
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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 COVID 
Correction and Equity Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Preventing an unintended drop in benefits relating to the application of 
the National Average Wage Index. 
Sec. 4. Across-the-board benefit increase. 
Sec. 5. Increase in minimum benefit for lifetime low earners based on years in 
the workforce. 
Sec. 6. Increase in threshold amounts and rate for inclusion of Social Security 
benefits in income. 
Sec. 7. Extension of child’s benefit for full-time post-secondary school students 
under age 23. 
Sec. 8. Improving social security benefits for widows and widowers in two-in-
come households. 
Sec. 9. Increasing access to benefits for children who live with grandparents or 
other relatives. 
Sec. 10. Update in eligibility for the supplemental security income program. 
Sec. 11. Support and maintenance furnished in kind not included as income. 
Sec. 12. Holding SSI, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries harmless. 
Sec. 13. Expedited adjustment of underpayments. 
Sec. 14. Appropriation of funds. 
SEC. 3. PREVENTING AN UNINTENDED DROP IN BENEFITS 
RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF THE NA-
TIONAL AVERAGE WAGE INDEX. 
(a) MODIFICATIONS RELATED TO COMPUTATION OF 
PRIMARY INSURANCE AMOUNT.—Section 215 of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii)(I)— 
(A) in subclause (I)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘the national’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(aa) the national’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘, by’’ at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end of subclause (I) 
the following: 
‘‘(bb) if higher (and if such second 
calendar year is after 2019), the highest 
national average wage index (as so de-
fined) for any calendar year before such 
second calendar year, by’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(3)(A)(ii)— 
(A) in subclause (I)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the national’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(aa) the national’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘, by’’ at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end of subclause (I) 
the following: 
‘‘(bb) if higher (and if such second 
calendar year is after 2019), the highest 
national average wage index (as so de-
fined) for any calendar year before such 
second calendar year, by’’. 
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(b) MODIFICATION RELATED
TO REDUCTION
OF 
BENEFITS
BASED
ON
DISABILITY.—Section 
224(f)(2)(B)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 424(f)(2)(B)(i)) is 
amended by inserting ‘‘(or if higher (and if such calendar 
year is after 2019), the highest national average wage 
index (as so defined) for any calendar year before such 
calendar year)’’ after ‘‘made’’. 
SEC. 4. ACROSS-THE-BOARD BENEFIT INCREASE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(a)(1)(A)(i) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(a)(1)(A)(i)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘90 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘93 percent’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to monthly 
insurance benefits payable for months in calendar 
year 2020. 
(2) RECOMPUTATION OF PRIMARY INSURANCE 
AMOUNTS.—Notwithstanding section 215(f) of the 
Social Security Act, the Commissioner of Social Se-
curity shall recompute primary insurance amounts 
to the extent necessary— 
(A) to carry out the amendments made by 
this section; and 
(B) to account for the nonapplication of 
such amendments after calendar year 2020. 
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