To amend title II of the Social Security Act to restore the link between the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted without demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity and the exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under the earnings test.

Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to restore the link ended by the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 1995 between the rules relating to substantial gainful activity for blind individuals and the rules relating to excess earnings under the social security earnings test for individuals who have attained retirement age (thus allowing blind individuals, once again, to earn up to the social security excess earnings threshold without being regarded as having demonstrated an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity and without losing entitlement to OASDI benefits).

Makes this Act effective with respect to taxable years ending after 1995.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1601 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1601

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to restore the link 
 between the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted 
without demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity 
 and the exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under 
                           the earnings test.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 1999

 Mr. Ehrlich (for himself, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Cooksey, Mr. Larson, Mr. 
Watts of Oklahoma, Mrs. Northup, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Serrano, 
 Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Bereuter, Ms. Hooley of Oregon, Mr. Lewis of 
   Georgia, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Weygand, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. 
 Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. Horn, Mr. Traficant, Mr. 
Sanders, Mr. Salmon, Mr. Clement, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Hefley, Mr. Frank of 
Massachusetts, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Mr. Towns, Mr. Shays, Mrs. Mink of 
   Hawaii, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Berman, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Boucher, Mr. 
 Rothman, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Bentsen, 
 Mr. Baldacci, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. 
   Diaz-Balart, Mr. Frost, Mr. Dixon, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mrs. 
    Christensen, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Underwood, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Romero-
  Barcelo, Mr. Stump, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. Tierney, Mr. 
  LaTourette, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. 
Gilchrest, Mrs. Morella, Mr. LaFalce, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Costello, Mr. 
Blumenauer, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. Calvert, Mr. 
    Clay, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Dickey, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. 
Watkins, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Goodling, Mr. Doyle, 
   Mr. Cardin, Mr. Fattah, Mrs. Tauscher, Mr. Fossella, Mr. Brown of 
California, Mr. Baker, Ms. Danner, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Tauzin, Mr. Stark, 
Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Lampson, Mr. Borski, Mr. Payne, Mr. Price 
of North Carolina, Mr. Coble, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Murtha, Mr. 
   Nussle, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Istook, Mr. Largent, Mr. 
  Sawyer, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Watt of North Carolina, Mr. Talent, Mr. 
 Ballenger, Mr. Vento, Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. Baird, Mr. Kind, Mr. 
Wise, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Boswell, 
Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. 
   Bliley, Mr. Filner, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. 
    Greenwood, Mr. Klink, Mr. Kanjorski, Mr. Oxley, Mr. Pastor, Mr. 
Hastings of Florida, Mr. Davis of Virginia, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Spence, Mr. 
 Rush, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Allen, Ms. Carson, Mr. Holden, Mr. Terry, Mrs. 
     Jones of Ohio, Mr. Burr of North Carolina, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. 
    Strickland, Mr. Sessions, Ms. Pryce of Ohio, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. 
    McGovern, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Ney, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Waxman, Mr. 
Cunningham, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Barrett 
   of Nebraska, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Shows, Mr. Visclosky, Ms. 
 Pelosi, Mr. Leach, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Dicks, Mrs. Maloney of 
New York, Mr. Hutchinson, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Cook, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Regula, 
 Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Nethercutt, Mr. Latham, 
  Mr. Farr of California, Mr. John, Mr. Olver, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. 
 Smith of Washington, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Wolf, Mr. 
 Clyburn, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. King, 
 Mrs. Chenoweth, Mr. Sabo, Mr. Thornberry, Mrs. Emerson, Mrs. Myrick, 
  Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Dooley of 
California, Mr. Skelton, Mr. Minge, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Wamp, 
 Mr. Foley, Mr. Scott, Mr. Gary Miller of California, Mr. Ganske, Ms. 
  Granger, Ms. McCarthy of Missouri, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Norwood, Ms. 
Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Lipinski, 
 Mr. Matsui, Mr. Gillmor, Mr. Maloney of Connecticut, Mr. Weiner, Ms. 
 Baldwin, Mr. Moore, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Roemer, Mr. Davis of 
   Illinois, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Berry, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Quinn, Mr. 
  Ortiz, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Condit) 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 restore the link 
 between the maximum amount of earnings by blind individuals permitted 
without demonstrating ability to engage in substantial gainful activity 
 and the exempt amount permitted in determining excess earnings under 
                           the earnings test.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RESTORATION OF LINK BETWEEN RULES RELATING TO SUBSTANTIAL 
              GAINFUL ACTIVITY FOR BLIND INDIVIDUALS AND RULES RELATING 
              TO EXCESS EARNINGS UNDER THE EARNINGS TEST.

    Section 223(d)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
423(d)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ``No individual who is blind'' and 
all that follows through ``had not been enacted.'' and inserting ``No 
individual who is blind shall be regarded as having demonstrated an 
ability to engage in substantial gainful activity on the basis of 
earnings that do not exceed an amount equal to the exempt amount under 
section 203(f)(8) which is applicable to individuals described in 
subparagraph (D) thereof.''.

SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to taxable 
years ending after 1995.
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