109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5483
AN ACT 
To increase the disability earning limitation under the Rail-
road Retirement Act and to index the amount of allow-
able 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 Representa-
tives 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 earn-
ings 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 deter-
mined 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 an-
nuity is not payable by reason of the first and third 
sentences shall not exceed the number of months de-
rived 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 deter-
mined under the preceding sentence shall be in-
creased 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 preceding three sen-
tences shall be made first with respect to the month 
or months for which the annuity is larger. For pur-
poses of this subdivision, ‘the monthly allowable 
earnings’ 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 aver-
age 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. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 
2006. 
Attest:
Clerk.
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5483
AN ACT 
To increase the disability earning limitation under 
the Railroad Retirement Act and to index the 
amount of allowable earnings consistent with in-
creases in the substantial gainful activity dollar 
amount under the Social Security Act.