[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[March 7, 1991]
[Pages 223-224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress Transmitting the Austria-United States Social 
Security Agreement
March 7, 1991

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 the Republic of Austria on Social Security, which 
consists of two separate instruments--a principal agreement and an 
administrative arrangement. The Agreement was signed at Vienna on July 
13, 1990.
    The United States-Austria Agreement is similar in objective to the 
social security agreements already in force with Belgium, Canada, 
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, 
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements 
provide for limited coordination between the United States and

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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.
    I also transmit for the information of the Congress a comprehensive 
report prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, which 
explains the provisions of the Agreement and provides data on the number 
of persons affected by the Agreement and the effect on social security 
financing as required by the same provision of the Social Security Act. 
I note that the Department of State and the Department of Health and 
Human Services have recommended the Agreement and related documents to 
me.
    I commend the United States-Austria Social Security Agreement and 
related documents.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
March 7, 1991.