Strengthening Social Security for Long Career Workers Act
Bill: H.R.3916 | Sponsor: Rep. Rice, Tom (R-SC)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Strengthening Social Security for Long Career Workers Act
This bill increases Social Security benefits for certain lifetime low earners. Specifically, it establishes a new method to calculate the Special Minimum Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) for workers who become eligible for benefits after calendar year 2027.
The Special Minimum PIA is an alternative benefit formula that increases benefits paid to workers who earn low wages throughout their careers and, under current law, is adjusted annually based on price growth. This bill revises the method of calculating the Special Minimum PIA by tying it to the national average wage index, which generally grows faster than the price index currently being used.

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to strengthen Social 
       Security for long career workers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Social Security for 
Long Career Workers Act''.

SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING SOCIAL SECURITY FOR LONG CAREER WORKERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 215(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 415(a)(1)) (as amended by section 101) is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (E) (as redesignated by 
        section 101) as subparagraph (F); and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) (as redesignated by 
        section 101) the following new subparagraph:
    ``(E)(i) In the case of an individual who initially becomes 
eligible for old-age or disability insurance benefits, or who dies 
(before becoming eligible for such benefits), in any calendar year 
after 2027, the primary insurance amount computed under subparagraph 
(A) with respect to the individual shall not be less than the greater 
of--
            ``(I) the minimum amount computed under subparagraph (C), 
        or
            ``(II) except as provided in clause (iv), in the case of an 
        individual who has at least 10 years of work (as defined in 
        clause (iii)), the minimum amount determined under clause (ii).
    ``(ii)(I) The minimum amount determined under this clause is the 
dollar amount equal to \1/12\ of the applicable percentage of the 
national average wage index (as defined in section 209(k)(1)) for the 
second year prior to the year for which the amount is computed.
    ``(II) For purposes of subclause (I), the applicable percentage is 
the percentage specified in connection with the number of years of 
work, as set forth in the following table:

``If the number of years                                 The applicable
  of work is:                                            percentage is:
        11.....................................................      3 
        12.....................................................      6 
        13.....................................................      9 
        14.....................................................     12 
        15.....................................................     15 
        16.....................................................     16 
        17.....................................................     17 
        18.....................................................     18 
        19.....................................................     19 
        20.....................................................     25 
        21.....................................................25\2/3\ 
        22.....................................................26\1/3\ 
        23.....................................................     27 
        24.....................................................27\2/3\ 
        25.....................................................28\1/3\ 
        26.....................................................     29 
        27.....................................................29\2/3\ 
        28.....................................................30\1/3\ 
        29.....................................................     31 
        30.....................................................31\2/3\ 
        31.....................................................32\1/3\ 
        32.....................................................     33 
        33.....................................................33\2/3\ 
        34.....................................................34\1/3\ 
        35 or greater..........................................     35.

    ``(iii)(I) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term `year of 
work' means, with respect to an individual, a year to which there is 
credited wages and self-employment income earned or derived by such 
individual in an amount equal to not less than, in the case of any such 
year, $10,875, multiplied by the ratio that the national average wage 
index (as defined in section 209(k)(1)) for the second year prior to 
such year bears to the national average wage index (as so defined) for 
2022.
    ``(II) For purposes of applying the table in clause (ii) in the 
case of an individual entitled to disability insurance benefits under 
section 223, the number of years of work of such individual shall be 
deemed to be the product of 35 times the ratio of the actual number of 
years of work of such individual to the number of such individual's 
benefit computation years. Any such product which is not a multiple of 
one shall be rounded to the next higher multiple of one.
    ``(III) In the case of a widow, surviving divorced wife, widower, 
surviving divorced husband, or surviving divorced parent (hereinafter 
in this subclause referred to as the `surviving beneficiary') of an 
individual whose primary insurance amount is otherwise determined, but 
for this subclause, under the preceding provisions of this subparagraph 
(hereinafter in this subclause referred to as the `insured 
individual'), for purposes of determining the widow's, widower's, 
mother's, or father's insurance benefit of the surviving beneficiary 
under subsection (e), (f), or (g) of section 202 on the basis of such 
primary insurance amount, such primary insurance amount shall be deemed 
to be equal to the primary insurance amount which would be determined 
under this subparagraph (before application of this subclause) if the 
number of years of work of the insured individual were equal to the 
product of 35 times the ratio (not greater than one) of the actual 
number of years of work of the surviving beneficiary to the number of 
the benefit computation years of the insured individual. Any such 
product which is not a multiple of one shall be rounded to the next 
higher multiple of one.
    ``(iv) In the case of an individual who initially becomes eligible 
for old-age or disability insurance benefits, or who dies (before 
becoming eligible for such benefits), in any year during the 9-year 
period beginning with 2028, the primary insurance amount computed under 
subparagraph (A) with respect to the individual shall not be less than 
the greater of--
            ``(I) the minimum amount computed under subparagraph (C), 
        or
            ``(II) the applicable phase-in percentage (specified for 
        such calendar year in the table set forth in clause (v)) of the 
        minimum amount determined under clause (ii).
    ``(v) The table set forth in this clause is as follows:

                                                The applicable phase-in
``For the calendar year:                                 percentage is:
        2028...................................................     10 
        2029...................................................     20 
        2030...................................................     30 
        2031...................................................     40 
        2032...................................................     50 
        2033...................................................     60 
        2034...................................................     70 
        2035...................................................     80 
        2036...................................................  90.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 209(k)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
409(k)(1)) (as amended by section 101) is further amended by inserting 
``215(a)(1)(F),'' after ``215(a)(1)(E),''.
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