A bill to ensure the payment in 1985 of cost of living increases under the OASDI program in title II of the Social Security Act, and to provide for a study of certain changes which might be made in the provisions authorizing cost of living adjustments under that program.
PL 98-604 (H.R.6299), enacted 10/30/1984

42 u s e 1382f. 
PUBLIC LAW 98-604—OCT. 30, 1984 
98 STAT. 3161 
Public Law 98-604 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To ensure the payment in 1985 of cost-of-living increases under the OASDI program 
in title II of the Social Security Act, and to provide for a study of certain changes 
Oct. 30, 1984 
which might be made in the provisions authorizing cost-of-living adjustments under 
[H.R. 6299] 
that program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That (a) in deter- 
Aged persons. 
mining whether the base quarter ending on September 30, 1984, is a 
42 USC 415 note. 
cost-of-living computation quarter for the purposes of the cost-of-
living increases under sections 215(i) and 1617 of the Social Security 
Act, the phrase "is 3 percent or more" appearing in section 
97 Stat. 73. 
215(i)(l)(B) of such Act shall be deemed to read "is greater than 
42 use 415^ 
zero" (and the phrase "exceeds, by not less than 3 per centum, such 
Index" appearing in section 215(i)(l)(B) of such Act as in effect in 
December 1978 shall be deemed to read "exceeds such Index"). 
Oo) For purposes of section 215(i) of such Act, the provisions of 
subsection (a) shall not constitute a "general benefit increase". 
SEC. 2. The Office of the Actuary of the Social Security Adminis- 
study. 
tration shall conduct a study of improvements which might be made 
in the application and operation of the cost-of-living adjustment 
provisions in section 215(i) of the Social Security Act, giving particu-
lar attention to— 
(1) the long-term effects of altogether eliminating the COLA 
trigger (the provision which requires that the CPI increase 
percentage (or the wage increase percentage) reach a specified 
level in order to trigger a cost-of-living adjustment in benefits); 
(2) the long-term effects of reducing the level of the COLA 
trigger from 3 per centum to 1 per centum; 
(3) long-term assumptions (explained in detail) concerning the 
frequency of instances in which the applicable increase percent-
age would be less than 3 per centum, the frequency of instances 
in which such percentage would be less than 1 per centum, and 
the frequency of deflationary periods in which there would be 
no increase in such percentage; and 
(4) an analysis of the period currently being used to me£isure 
CPI and wage increases, and the long-term effects of changing 
such period so as to make it noncumulative or to use different 
calendar quarters. 
98 STAT. 3162 
PUBLIC LAW 98-604—OCT. 30, 1984 
Report. 
The Office of the Actuary shall submit to the Committee on Ways 
and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Finance of the Senate, on or before September 1, 1985, a full and 
complete report of the study conducted under this section. 
Approved October 80, 1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6299: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 98-1099 (Comm. on Ways and Means). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 130 (1984): 
Oct. 2, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 11, considered and passed Senate.