[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 285 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 285

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to restore the link 
 between the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted 
without demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity 
 and the exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under 
                           the earnings test.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 21, 1999

  Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. DeWine, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
   Cleland, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Wellstone, and Mr. Breaux) 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 restore the link 
 between the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted 
without demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity 
 and the exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under 
                           the earnings test.

    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 ``Blind Persons Earnings Equity Act''.

SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF LINK BETWEEN RULES RELATING TO SUBSTANTIAL 
              GAINFUL ACTIVITY FOR BLIND INDIVIDUALS AND RULES RELATING 
              TO EXCESS EARNINGS UNDER THE EARNINGS TEST.

    Section 223(d)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
423(d)(4)(A)) is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting 
``No individual who is blind shall be regarded as having demonstrated 
an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity on the basis of 
earnings that do not exceed an amount equal to the exempt amount under 
section 203(f)(8) which is applicable to individuals described in 
subparagraph (D) thereof.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to taxable 
years ending after 1998.
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