[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 31 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 31

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the earnings 
         test for individuals who have attained retirement age.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 4, 1995

Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Coats, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Heflin, 
Mr. Helms, Mr. Kyl,  Mr. Lott,  Mr. Mack,  Mr. Reid,  Mr. Shelby,  Mr. 
    Smith,  Mr. Stevens,  Mr. Warner, and Mr. Grams) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the earnings 
         test for individuals who have attained retirement age.

    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 ``Older Americans' Freedom to Work Act 
of 1993''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF EARNINGS TEST FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ATTAINED 
              RETIREMENT AGE.

    Section 203 of the Social Security Act is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) and paragraphs 
        (1)(A) and (2) of subsection (d), by striking ``the age of 
        seventy'' and inserting ``retirement age (as defined in section 
        216(l))'';
            (2) in subsection (f)(1)(B), by striking ``was age seventy 
        or over'' and inserting ``was at or above retirement age (as 
        defined in section 216(l))'';
            (3) in subsection (f)(3), by striking ``33\1/3\ percent'' 
        and all that follows through ``any other individual,'' and 
        inserting ``50 percent of such individual's earnings for such 
        year in excess of the product of the exempt amount as 
        determined under paragraph (8),'' and by striking ``age 70'' 
        and inserting ``retirement age (as defined in section 
        216(l))'';
            (4) in subsection (h)(1)(A), by striking ``age 70'' each 
        place it appears and inserting ``retirement age (as defined in 
        section 216(l))''; and
            (5) in subsection (j), by striking ``Age Seventy'' in the 
        heading and inserting ``Retirement Age'', and by striking 
        ``seventy years of age'' and inserting ``having attained 
        retirement age (as defined in section 216(l))''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS ELIMINATING THE SPECIAL EXEMPT AMOUNT FOR 
              INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ATTAINED RETIREMENT AGE.

    (a) Uniform Exempt Amount.--Section 203(f)(8)(A) of the Social 
Security Act is amended by striking ``the new exempt amounts 
(separately stated for individuals described in subparagraph (D) and 
for other individuals) which are to be applicable'' and inserting ``a 
new exempt amount which shall be applicable''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 203(f)(8)(B) of such Act is 
amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
        ``Except'' and all that follows through ``whichever'' and 
        inserting ``The exempt amount which is applicable for each 
        month of a particular taxable year shall be whichever'';
            (2) in clause (i), by striking ``corresponding''; and
            (3) in the last sentence, by striking ``an exempt amount'' 
        and inserting ``the exempt amount''.
    (c) Repeal of Basis for Computation of Special Exempt Amount.--
Section 203(f)(8)(D) of such Act is repealed.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Elimination of Redundant References to Retirement Age.--Section 
203 of the Social Security Act is amended--
            (1) in the last sentence of subsection (c), by striking 
        ``nor shall any deduction'' and all that follows and inserting 
        ``nor shall any deduction be made under this subsection from 
        any widow's or widower's insurance benefit if the widow, 
        surviving divorced wife, widower, or surviving divorced husband 
        involved became entitled to such benefit prior to attaining age 
        60.''; and
            (2) in subsection (f)(1), by striking clause (D) and 
        inserting the following: ``(D) for which such individual is 
        entitled to widow's or widower's insurance benefits if such 
        individual became so entitled prior to attaining age 60, or''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment to Provisions for Determining Amount of 
Increase on Account of Delayed Retirement.--Section 202(w)(2)(B)(ii) of 
such Act is amended--
            (1) by striking ``either''; and
            (2) by striking ``or suffered deductions under section 
        203(b) or 203(c) in amounts equal to the amount of such 
        benefit''.
    (c) Continued Application of Rule Governing Entitlement of Blind 
Beneficiaries.--The second sentence of section 223(d)(4) of such Act is 
amended by inserting after ``subparagraph (D) thereof'' where it first 
appears the following: ``(or would be applicable to such individuals 
but for the amendments made by the Older Americans' Freedom to Work Act 
of 1990)''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply only with respect to 
taxable years beginning after December 31, 1993.
                                 <all>