Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6543 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6543

 To provide for the exemption of certain earnings from the retirement 
                 earnings test, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 9, 2025

  Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mrs. McClain Delaney) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the exemption of certain earnings from the retirement 
                 earnings test, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Health Care Worker and First 
Responder Fairness Act''.

SEC. 2. EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN EARNINGS FROM RETIREMENT EARNINGS TEST.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of subsection (b) of section 203 of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 403(b)), wages paid during the 
period beginning on January 31, 2020, and ending on May 11, 2023, to an 
individual who attests to and provides evidence of being employed as a 
health care professional or first responder during such period shall 
not be included in the determination of the individual's excess 
earnings under subsection (f)(3) of such section for any taxable year.
    (b) Guidance.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall issue 
guidance providing for appropriate procedures for the implementation of 
subsection (a).

SEC. 3. FUTURE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of subsection (b) of section 203 of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 403(b)), wages paid to an eligible 
individual during any public health emergency declared by the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services under section 319(a) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d(a)) shall not be included in the 
determination of the individual's excess earnings under subsection 
(f)(3) of such section for any taxable year.
    (b) Issuance of Waivers.--During a public health emergency declared 
by the Secretary under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 247d(a)) in which the Secretary has determined that, wholly 
or partially as a result of the public health emergency, there is a 
shortage of healthcare workers, the Commissioner of Social Security may 
issue a waiver to an individual who attests to and provides evidence of 
being employed as a health care professional or first responder during 
such public health emergency.
    (c) Report.--The Commissioner shall annually submit a report to 
Congress describing each waiver that has been issued under this section 
during the previous year.
    (d) Eligible Individual Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``eligible individual'' means an individual to whom the 
Commissioner has issued a waiver in accordance with subsection (b).

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the 
        Commissioner of Social Security.
            (2) Health care professional.--The term ``health care 
        professional'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        225(d)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        234(d)(1)).
            (3) First responder.--The term ``first responder'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 3025(1) of the Omnibus Crime 
        Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10705(1)).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
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