[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3211 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3211

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that the 
 percentage increase applied to benefits each year as a cost-of-living 
increase under such title shall in no case be less than the percentage 
increase in compensation of Members of Congress specified for such year 
            under section 31 of title 2, United States Code.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 2009

  Mr. Kagen 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 
 percentage increase applied to benefits each year as a cost-of-living 
increase under such title shall in no case be less than the percentage 
increase in compensation of Members of Congress specified for such year 
            under section 31 of title 2, United States Code.

    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 ``Cost of Living Equity Act''.

SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT TO PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN BENEFITS UNDER TITLE II 
              OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT TO ENSURE THAT SUCH INCREASES 
              ARE IN NO CASE LESS THAN PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN 
              COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 215(i)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new clause:
    ``(iv) Notwithstanding clause (ii), the Commissioner shall, 
effective with the month of December of each year as provided in 
subparagraph (B), irrespective of whether the base quarter in that year 
is a cost of living computation quarter, apply and adjust the increases 
described in subclauses (I), (II), and (III) of clause (ii) as 
necessary so as to result in a percentage increase in the amounts 
described in such subclauses (including each of those amounts as 
previously increased under this subparagraph) which is not less than 
the percentage increase in compensation of Members of Congress 
specified under section 31(2) of title 2, United States Code, for the 
first applicable pay period after such month to which such increase 
applies (as determined without regard to any other applicable provision 
of law affecting such compensation). Any percentage increase determined 
under this clause shall be treated as a percentage increase determined 
under clause (ii).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
with respect to increases determined under section 215(i)(2)(A) of the 
Social Security Act occurring after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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