‘‘(bb) the national average wage index (as 
so defined) for 2018. 
‘‘(iv) For purposes of this subparagraph— 
‘‘(I) the term ‘year of work’ means, with re-
spect to an individual, a year to which 4 quarters of 
coverage have been credited based on such individ-
ual’s wages and self-employment income; and 
‘‘(II) the term ‘poverty guideline for 2019’ 
means the annual poverty guideline for 2019 (as up-
dated annually in the Federal Register by the De-
partment of Health and Human Services under the 
authority of section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1981) as applicable to a single 
individual.’’. 
(b) 
RECOMPUTATION.—Notwithstanding 
section 
215(f)(1) of the Social Security Act, the Commissioner of 
Social Security shall recompute primary insurance 
amounts originally computed for months prior to Novem-
ber 2019 to the extent necessary to carry out the amend-
ments made by this section. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 209(k)(1) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 409(k)(1)) is amended by inserting 
‘‘215(a)(1)(E),’’ after ‘‘215(a)(1)(D),’’. 
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SEC. 7. ALTERNATE BENEFIT AMOUNT FOR WIDOW’S AND 
WIDOWER’S INSURANCE BENEFITS. 
(a) WIDOWS.—Section 202(e) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) by striking subparagraph (D); 
(D) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) 
and (F) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respec-
tively; and 
(E) in the flush matter following subpara-
graph (E)(ii), as so redesignated, by striking 
‘‘becomes entitled to an old-age insurance ben-
efit’’ and all that follows through ‘‘such de-
ceased individual,’’; 
(2) by striking subparagraph (A) in paragraph 
(2) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subsection 
(k)(5), subsection (q), and subparagraph (D) of this 
paragraph, such widow’s insurance benefit for each 
month shall be equal to the greater of— 
‘‘(i) the primary insurance amount (as de-
termined for purposes of this subsection after 
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application of subparagraphs (B) and (C)) of 
such deceased individual; or 
‘‘(ii) subject to paragraph (9), in the case 
of a fully insured widow or surviving divorced 
wife, 75 percent of the sum of any old-age or 
disability insurance benefit for which the widow 
or the surviving divorced wife is entitled for 
such month and the primary insurance amount 
(as determined for purposes of this subsection 
after application of subparagraphs (B) and (C)) 
of such deceased individual.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (5)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (1)(F)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 
(1)(E)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (1)(F)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (1)(E)(i)’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(9) For purposes of paragraph (2)(A)(ii), the 
amount determined under such paragraph shall not 
exceed the primary insurance amount for such 
month of a hypothetical individual— 
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‘‘(A) who became entitled to old-age insur-
ance benefits upon attaining early retirement 
age during the month in which the deceased in-
dividual referred to in paragraph (1) became 
entitled to old-age or disability insurance bene-
fits, or died (before becoming entitled to such 
benefits); and 
‘‘(B) to whom wages and self-employment 
income were credited in each of such hypo-
thetical individual’s elapsed years (within the 
meaning of section 215(b)(2)(B)(iii)) in an 
amount equal to the national average wage 
index (as described in section 209(k)(1)) for 
each such year.’’. 
(b) WIDOWERS.—Section 202(f) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 402(f)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) by striking subparagraph (D); 
(D) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) 
and (F) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respec-
tively; and 
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(E) in the flush matter following subpara-
graph (E)(ii), as so redesignated, by striking 
‘‘becomes entitled to an old-age insurance ben-
efit’’ and all that follows through ‘‘such de-
ceased individual,’’; 
(2) by striking subparagraph (A) in paragraph 
(2) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subsection 
(k)(5), subsection (q), and subparagraph (D) of this 
paragraph, such widower’s insurance benefit for 
each month shall be equal to the greater of— 
‘‘(i) the primary insurance amount (as de-
termined for purposes of this subsection after 
application of subparagraphs (B) and (C)) of 
such deceased individual; or 
‘‘(ii) subject to paragraph (9), in the case 
of a fully insured widower or surviving divorced 
husband, 75 percent of the sum of any old-age 
or disability insurance benefit for which the 
widower or the surviving divorced husband is 
entitled for such month and the primary insur-
ance amount (as determined for purposes of 
this subsection after application of subpara-
graphs (B) and (C)) of such deceased indi-
vidual.’’; 
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(3) in paragraph (5)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (1)(F)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 
(1)(E)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (1)(F)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (1)(E)(i)’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(9) For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of 
paragraph (2)(A), in the case of a surviving divorced 
husband, the amount determined under either such 
clause (and, for purposes of clause (ii) of paragraph 
(2)(A), as determined after application of paragraph 
(10)) shall be equal to the applicable percentage (as 
determined under section 202(c)(2)(B)) of such 
amount (as determined before application of this 
paragraph but after application of subsection 
(k)(3)). 
‘‘(10) For purposes of paragraph (2)(A)(ii), the 
amount determined under such paragraph shall not 
exceed the primary insurance amount for such 
month of a hypothetical individual— 
‘‘(A) who became entitled to old-age insur-
ance benefits upon attaining early retirement 
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