Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act

Bill: 118-hr-8872
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Introduced: 2024-06-27
Policy area: Social Welfare
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-06-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act</strong></p><p>This bill exempts from the Social Security Retirement Earnings Test (RET) wages earned through work as a health care professional or first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the RET, benefits are reduced for beneficiaries who are younger than full retirement age if they earn wages in excess of a specified annual limit.&nbsp;</p><p>Further, the Social Security Administration may issue waivers to individuals employed as health care professionals or first responders during a declared public health emergency in which there is a shortage of health care workers. Wages earned by individuals granted waivers during a public health emergency are exempt from the RET.&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8872 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 27, 2024 Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Trone ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To provide for the exemption of certain earnings from the retirement earnings test, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act . 2. Exemption of certain earnings from retirement earnings test (a) In general For purposes of subsection (b) of section 203 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 403(b) ), wages paid during the period beginning on January 31, 2020, and ending on May 11, 2023, to an individual who attests to and provides evidence of being employed as a health care professional or first responder during such period shall not be included in the determination of the individual’s excess earnings under subsection (f)(3) of such section for any taxable year. (b) Guidance Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall issue guidance providing for appropriate procedures for the implementation of subsection (a). 3. Future pandemic preparedness (a) In general For purposes of subsection (b) of section 203 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 403(b) ), wages paid to an eligible individual during any public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d(a) ) shall not be included in the determination of the individual’s excess earnings under subsection (f)(3) of such section for any taxable year. (b) Issuance of waivers During a public health emergency declared by the Secretary under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d(a) ) in which the Secretary has determined that, wholly or partially as a result of the public health emergency, there is a shortage of healthcare workers, the Commissioner of Social Security may issue a waiver to an individual who attests to and provides evidence of being employed as a health care professional or first responder during such public health emergency. (c) Report The Commissioner shall annually submit a report to Congress describing each waiver that has been issued under this section during the previous year. (d) Eligible individual defined For purposes of this section, the term eligible individual means an individual to whom the Commissioner has issued a waiver in accordance with subsection (b). 4. Definitions In this Act: (1) Commissioner The term Commissioner means the Commissioner of Social Security. (2) Health care professional The term health care professional has the meaning given such term in section 225(d)(1) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 234(d)(1) ). (3) First responder The term first responder has the meaning given such term in section 3025(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10705(1) ). (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.