[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1217 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1217

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that the 
 reductions in Social Security benefits which are required in the case 
    of spouses and surviving spouses who are also receiving certain 
  Government pensions shall be equal to the amount by which the total 
 amount of the combined monthly benefit (before reduction) and monthly 
                        pension exceeds $1,200.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 1999

 Mr. Jefferson (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Allen, 
  Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. Berman, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bonior, Mr. 
Boucher, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. Brown 
  of Ohio, Mr. Bryant, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Capuano, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. 
Clay, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Costello, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Cummings, 
  Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Delahunt, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Dicks, Mr. Dixon, Mrs. 
Emerson, Mr. Engel, Mr. English, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Farr of California, 
       Mr. Filner, Mr. Foley, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Ford, Mr. Frank of 
 Massachusetts, Mr. Frost, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. Gillmor, Mr. Gilman, Mr. 
  Goode, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. 
 Hayworth, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Hooley of Oregon, Mr. Hoyer, 
   Mr. Inslee, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. 
  Kaptur, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. 
    Lantos, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. 
   Lofgren, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Mascara, Mr. 
Matsui, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. George Miller 
of California, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Moakley, Mr. Moran of Virginia, 
Mrs. Morella, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Ney, Ms. Norton, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Olver, 
   Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Payne, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Rahall, Mr. 
Rangel, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Sherman, 
   Mr. Shows, Mr. Sisisky, Mr. Skelton, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Smith of 
  Washington, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Spratt, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
Stark, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mrs. 
  Thurman, Mr. Traficant, Mr. Turner, Mr. Underwood, Mr. Watkins, Mr. 
Watt of North Carolina, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Weygand, Mr. Wise, 
    Mr. Wolf, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Rush, and Mr. Strickland) 
 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 provide that the 
 reductions in Social Security benefits which are required in the case 
    of spouses and surviving spouses who are also receiving certain 
  Government pensions shall be equal to the amount by which the total 
 amount of the combined monthly benefit (before reduction) and monthly 
                        pension exceeds $1,200.

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

SECTION 1. LIMITATION ON REDUCTIONS IN BENEFITS FOR SPOUSES AND 
              SURVIVING SPOUSES RECEIVING GOVERNMENT PENSIONS.

    (a) Wife's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(b)(4)(A) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(b)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ``an 
amount equal to two thirds of the amount of'' and inserting the 
following: ``the government pension reduction amount (as defined in 
section 216(m)) determined in connection with''.
    (b) Husband's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(c)(2)(A) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(c)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``an amount equal to 
two thirds of the amount of'' and inserting the following: ``the 
government pension reduction amount (as defined in section 216(m)) 
determined in connection with''.
    (c) Widow's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(e)(7)(A) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(e)(7)(A)) is amended by striking ``an amount equal to 
two thirds of the amount of'' and inserting the following: ``the 
government pension reduction amount (as defined in section 216(m)) 
determined in connection with''.
    (d) Widower's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(f)(2)(A) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 402(f)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``an amount equal to 
two thirds of the amount of'' and inserting the following: ``the 
government pension reduction amount (as defined in section 216(m)) 
determined in connection with''.
    (e) Mother's and Father's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(g)(4)(A) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 402(g)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ``an amount 
equal to two thirds of the amount of'' and inserting the following: 
``the government pension reduction amount (as defined in section 
216(m)) determined in connection with''.
    (f) Government Pension Reduction Amount.--Section 216 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 416) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:

                 ``Government Pension Reduction Amount

    ``(m)(1) The term `government pension reduction amount' means, with 
respect to a benefit for any month, the lesser of--
            ``(A) the amount (if any) by which--
                    ``(i) the sum of such benefit (before reduction 
                under subsection (b)(4)(A), (c)(2)(A), (e)(7)(A), 
                (f)(2)(A), or (g)(4)(A)) and the amount of any monthly 
                periodic benefit payable to the beneficiary for such 
                month which is based upon the beneficiary's earnings 
                while in the service of the Federal Government or any 
                State (or political subdivision thereof, as defined in 
                section 218(b)(2)), exceeds
                    ``(ii) the reduction base amount, or
            ``(B) an amount equal to two-thirds of the amount of any 
        such monthly periodic benefit.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term `reduction base 
amount' means, in connection with a benefit for a month during any 
calendar year, the greater of--
            ``(A) $1,200, or
            ``(B) the amount determined under this paragraph in 
        connection with benefits for months in the preceding calendar 
        year, increased by the percent change described in section 
        8340(b) of title 5, United States Code (determined without 
        regard to any other provision of law) taking effect on December 
        1 of such preceding calendar year.''.

SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by section 1 shall apply with respect to 
monthly insurance benefits payable under title II of the Social 
Security Act for months ending after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
                                 <all>