[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4904 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4904

    To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide certain 
benefits under that Act to individuals who served in the United States 
                  Merchant Marine during World War II.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

  Mr. Filner 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 certain 
benefits under that Act to individuals who served in the United States 
                  Merchant Marine during World War II.

    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 ``Social Security Fairness for 
Merchant Mariners Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES 
              MERCHANT MARINE DURING WORLD WAR II.

    (a) Benefits.--Section 217(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
417(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) The term `active military or naval service' includes 
        the service, or any period of forcible detention or internment 
        by an enemy government or hostile force as a result of action 
        against a vessel described in subparagraph (A), of a person 
        who--
                    ``(A) was a member of the United States merchant 
                marine (including the Army Transport Service and the 
                Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a 
                vessel that was--
                            ``(i) operated by the War Shipping 
                        Administration or the Office of Defense 
                        Transportation (or an agent of the 
                        Administration or Office);
                            ``(ii) operated in waters other than inland 
                        waters, the Great Lakes, and other lakes, bays, 
                        and harbors of the United States;
                            ``(iii) under contract or charter to, or 
                        property of, the Government of the United 
                        States; and
                            ``(iv) serving the Armed Forces; and
                    ``(B) while so serving, was licensed or otherwise 
                documented for service as a crewmember of such a vessel 
                by an officer or employee of the United States 
                authorized to license or document the person for such 
                service.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply only with respect to benefits for months beginning on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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