[House Document 108-234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

108th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 108-234

 
 AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND JAPAN ON SOCIAL 
                                SECURITY

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND JAPAN ON SOCIAL 
SECURITY, WITH A PRINCIPAL AGREEMENT AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENT, 
 BOTH SIGNED AT WASHINGTON ON FEBRUARY 19, 2004, PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. 
                               433(e)(1)




  November 18, 2004.--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, 
as amended by the Social Security Amendments of 1977 (Public 
Law 95-216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the 
Agreement between the United States of America and Japan on 
Social Security, which consists of two separate instruments: a 
principal agreement and an administrative arrangement. The 
Agreement was signed at Washington on February 19, 2004.
    The United States-Japan Agreement is similar in objective 
to the social security agreements already in force with 
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, 
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, the 
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and 
the United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements provide for 
limited coordination between the United States and foreign 
social security systems to eliminate dual social security 
coverage and taxation, and to help prevent the lost benefit 
protection that can occur when workers divide their careers 
between two countries. The United States-Japan Agreement 
contains all provisions mandated by section 233 and other 
provisions which I deem appropriate to carry out the purposes 
of section 233, pursuant to section 233(c)(4).
    I also transmit for the information of the Congress a 
report prepared by the Social Security Administration 
explaining the key points of the Agreement, along with a 
paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the provisions of the 
principal agreement and the related administrative arrangement. 
Annexed to this report is the report required by section 
233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of 
the Agreement on income and expenditure of the United States 
Social Security program and the number of individuals affect by 
the Agreement.
    The Department of State and the Social Security 
Administration have recommended the Agreement and related 
documents to me.
    I commend to the Congress the United States-Japan Social 
Security Agreement and related documents.

                                                    George W. Bush.
    The White House, November 17, 2004.

    
    
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