    [House Document 105-49]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

    105th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-49

      SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT AMENDING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
       GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF
                    CANADA WITH RESPECT TO SOCIAL SECURITY

                                   __________

                                    MESSAGE

                                      From

                       THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                                  transmitting

     THE SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT AMENDING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
    GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
     WITH RESPECT TO SOCIAL SECURITY (THE SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT),
     SIGNED AT OTTAWA ON MAY 28, 1996, WHICH IS INTENDED TO MODIFY CERTAIN
        PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINAL UNITED STATES-CANADA SOCIAL SECURITY
       AGREEMENT SIGNED AT OTTAWA MARCH 11, 1981, WHICH WAS AMENDED ONCE
     BEFORE BY THE SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT OF MAY 10, 1983, PURSUANT TO 42
                                U.S.C. 433(e)(1)

        March 3, 1997.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
             Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act
    (the ``Act''), as amended by the Social Security Amendments of
    1977 (Public Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit
    herewith the Second Supplementary Agreement Amending the
    Agreement Between the Government of the United States of
    America and the Government of Canada with Respect to Social
    Security (the Second Supplementary Agreement). The Second
    Supplementary Agreement, signed at Ottawa on May 28, 1996, is
    intended to modify certain provisions of the original United
    States-Canada Social Security Agreement signed at Ottawa March
    11, 1981, which was amended once before by the Supplementary
    Agreement of May 10, 1983.
        The United States-Canada Social Security Agreement is
    similar in objective to the social security agreements with
    Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
    Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
    Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Such bilateral
    agreements provide for limited coordination between the U.S.
    and foreign social security systems to eliminate dual social
    security coverage and taxation, and to help prevent the loss of
    benefit protection that can occur when workers divide their
    careers between two countries.
        The Second Supplementary Agreement provides Canada with a
    specific basis to enter into a mutual assistance arrangement
    with the United States. This enables each Governments' Social
    Security agency to assist the other in enhancing the
    administration of their respective foreign benefits programs.
    The Social Security Administration has benefited from a similar
    mutual assistance arrangement with the United Kingdom. The
    Second Supplementary Agreement will also make a number of minor
    revisions in the Agreement to take into account other changes
    in U.S. and Canadian law that have occurred in recent years.
        The United States-Canada Social Security Agreement, as
    amended, would continue to contain all provisions mandated by
    section 233 and other provisions that I deem appropriate to
    carry out the provisions of section 233, pursuant to section
    233(c)(4) of the Act.
        I also transmit for the information of the Congress a
    report prepared by the Social Security Administration
    explaining the key points of the Second Supplementary
    Agreement, along with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of
    the effect of the amendments on the Agreement. Annexed to this
    report is the report required by section 233(e)(1) of the Act
    on the effect of the Agreement, as amended, on income and
    expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program and the number
    of individuals affected by the amended Agreement. The
    Department of State and the Social Security Administration have
    recommended the Second Supplementary Agreement and related
    documents to me.
        I commend the United States-Canada Second Supplementary
    Social Security Agreement and related documents.

                                                    William J. Clinton.
        The White House, March 3, 1997.