I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2291 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the 7-year restriction 
on eligibility for widow’s and widower’s insurance benefits based on disability. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2011 
Mrs. LOWEY 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 repeal the 
7-year restriction on eligibility for widow’s and widower’s 
insurance benefits based on disability. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. REPEAL OF 7-YEAR RESTRICTION ON ELIGI-
BILITY FOR WIDOW’S AND WIDOWER’S INSUR-
ANCE BENEFITS BASED ON DISABILITY. 
(a) WIDOW’S INSURANCE BENEFITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(e) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)) is amended— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking 
‘‘which began before the end of the period spec-
ified in paragraph (4)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(F)(ii), by striking 
‘‘(I) in the period specified in paragraph (4) 
and (II)’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (4) and by re-
designating paragraphs (5) through (8) as 
paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively; and 
(D) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii) (as redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘whichever’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘begins’’ and inserting ‘‘the first 
day of the seventeenth month before the month 
in which her application is filed’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Section 202(e)(1)(F)(i) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(e)(1)(F)(i)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘paragraph (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (4)’’. 
(B) Section 202(e)(1)(C)(ii)(III) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)(2)(C)(ii)(III)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘paragraph (8)’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (6)’’. 
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(C) Section 226(e)(1)(A)(i) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 426(e)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘202(e)(4),’’. 
(b) WIDOWER’S INSURANCE BENEFITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(f) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(f)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking 
‘‘which began before the end of the period spec-
ified in paragraph (4)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(F)(ii), by striking 
‘‘(I) in the period specified in paragraph (4) 
and (II)’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (4) and by re-
designating paragraphs (5) through (8) as 
paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively; and 
(D) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii) (as redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘whichever’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘begins’’ and inserting ‘‘the first 
day of the seventeenth month before the month 
in which his application is filed’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Section 202(f)(1)(F)(i) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(f)(1)(F)(i)) is amended by striking 
‘‘paragraph (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 
(4)’’. 
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(B) Section 202(f)(1)(C)(ii)(III) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 402(f)(2)(C)(ii)(III)) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘paragraph (8)’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (6)’’. 
(C) Section 226(e)(1)(A)(i) of such Act (as 
amended by subsection (a)(2)) is further 
amended by striking ‘‘202(f)(1)(B)(ii), and 
202(f)(4)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘and 
202(f)(1)(B)(ii)’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to benefits for months 
after December 2011 for which applications are filed or 
pending on or after January 1, 2012. 
Æ 
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