119-hr963

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 963 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 963

 To require expedited consideration of a bill that addresses the 
insolvency of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or 
 the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund in the case that either 
 trust fund becomes insolvent.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 4, 2025

 Mr. Ryan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
 the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require expedited consideration of a bill that addresses the 
insolvency of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or 
 the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund in the case that either 
 trust fund becomes insolvent.

 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 ``Protecting Social Security Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Social Security is under threat from President Donald 
 Trump and politicians like Speaker Mike Johnson, J.D. Vance, 
 and Rick Scott.

    (2) Social Security is an earned benefit that Americans 
 have paid into over the course of their lifetime and belongs to 
 those who have worked for it.

    (3) Social Security benefits have not been expanded in over 
 50 years.

    (4) Nearly 9 out of every 10 people age 65 and older 
 receive Social Security benefits.

    (5) The 176-member House Republican Study Committee 
 approved a plan that would increase the retirement age to 69 
 years old.

    (6) Social Security benefits are protected against 
 inflation through automatic cost-of-living adjustments.

    (7) There should be a Social Security field office 
 operating in every county in the country that has a population 
 greater than 150,000 people.

    (8) Social Security is life saving for people without 
 pensions or significant savings to protect themselves against 
 hardship.

    (9) Access to local Social Security offices is essential 
 for those who rely on the program and may not be able to seek 
 help online or over the phone.

    (10) More than 9,000,000 veterans receive Social Security 
 benefits.

    (11) Over 6,000,000 children depend on Social Security 
 because their parent has died, they live with a disability, or 
 they live in a household that receives income from Social 
 Security.

SEC. 3. SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD OFFICES.

 

Section 205 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 505) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (v) Field Office Requirements.--The Commissioner of Social 
Security shall ensure that there is a field office operating in every 
county in the country that has a population greater than 150,000 
people.''.

SEC. 4. SOCIAL SECURITY INSOLVENCY.

 During any period for which the Commissioner of Social Security 
certifies that the balance of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors 
Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund 
established under 

section 201 of such the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 401) is insufficient to finance benefit payments under title II 
of such Act, there shall be appropriated to the insolvent trust fund, 
on a monthly basis, an amount that is equal to the amount necessary for 
the Social Security Administration to pay such benefit payments.

SEC. 5. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENCY BILLS.

    (a) Qualifying Legislation.--

    (1) Certification.--If the balance of the Federal Old-Age 
 and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability 
 Insurance Trust Fund established under 

section 201 of the 
 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401) becomes insufficient to 
 finance benefit payments under title II of such Act, then the 
 Commissioner of Social Security shall certify to Congress that 
 the Administration is unable to finance such benefit payments.

    (2) Entitlement to expedited consideration.--Only a Social 
 Security solvency bill shall be entitled to expedited 
 consideration under this section upon Congress receiving the 
 certification described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (3) Social security solvency bill defined.--In this Act, 
 the term ``Social Security solvency bill'' means a bill 
 consisting solely of legislative language that--
        (A) ensures that individuals entitled to a benefit 
 under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
 401 et seq.) will continue to receive full benefits;
        (B) will not raise taxes on individuals other than 
 those described in subparagraph
            (C) or decrease 
 benefits provided under such title; and
            (C) ensures that any need for additional funds is 
 to be borne by the ultra-wealthy and corporations.

    (b) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--

    (1) Introduction.--Upon receipt by Congress of a 
 certification from the Commissioner of Social Security 
 described in subsection

    (a)

    (1) , a Social Security Solvency bill 
 described in subsection

    (a)

    (3) shall be jointly introduced in 
 the House of Representatives (by request) by the majority 
 leader and the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

    (2) Referral and reporting.--Any committee of the House of 
 Representatives to which a Social Security Solvency bill is 
 referred shall report the Social Security Solvency bill to the 
 House of Representatives without amendment not later than 5 
 legislative days after the date on which the Social Security 
 Solvency bill was so referred. If any committee of the House of 
 Representatives to which a Social Security Solvency bill is 
 referred fails to report the Social Security Solvency bill 
 within that period, that committee shall be automatically 
 discharged from consideration of the Social Security Solvency 
 bill, and the Social Security Solvency bill shall be placed on 
 the appropriate calendar.

    (3) Proceeding to consideration.--After the last committee 
 authorized to consider a Social Security Solvency bill reports 
 it to the House of Representatives or has been discharged from 
 its consideration, it shall be in order to move to proceed to 
 consider the Social Security Solvency bill in the House of 
 Representatives. Such a motion shall not be in order after the 
 House of Representatives has disposed of a motion to proceed 
 with respect to the Social Security Solvency bill. The previous 
 question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its 
 adoption without intervening motion. A motion to reconsider the 
 vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in order.

    (4) Consideration.--The Social Security Solvency bill shall 
 be considered as read. All points of order against the Social 
 Security Solvency bill and against its consideration are 
 waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on 
 the Social Security Solvency bill to its passage without 
 intervening motion except 2 hours of debate equally divided and 
 controlled by the proponent and an opponent. A motion to 
 reconsider the vote on passage of the Social Security Solvency 
 bill shall not be in order.

    (5) Vote on passage.--The vote on passage of the Social 
 Security Solvency bill shall occur not later than 15 days after 
 the date of the introduction of such bill under paragraph

    (1) .
            (c) Expedited Procedure in the Senate.--

    (1) Reconvening and introduction.--Upon receipt by Congress 
 of a certification from the Commissioner of Social Security 
 described in subsection

    (a)

    (1) --
        (A) if the Senate has adjourned or recessed for 
 more than 2 days, the majority leader of the Senate, 
 after consultation with the minority leader of the 
 Senate, shall notify the Members of the Senate that, 
 pursuant to this section, the Senate shall convene not 
 later than the second calendar day after receipt of 
 such message; and
        (B) a Social Security Solvency bill described in 
 subsection

    (a)

    (3) shall be jointly introduced in the 
 Senate (by request) by the majority leader and the 
 minority leader of the Senate.

    (2) Committee consideration.--A Social Security Solvency 
 bill introduced in the Senate under paragraph

    (1) shall be 
 jointly referred to the committee or committees of 
 jurisdiction, which committees shall report the Social Security 
 Solvency bill without any revision and with a favorable 
 recommendation, an unfavorable recommendation, or without 
 recommendation, not later than 5 session days after the date on 
 which the Social Security Solvency bill was so referred. If any 
 committee to which a Social Security Solvency bill is referred 
 fails to report the Social Security Solvency bill within that 
 period, that committee shall be automatically discharged from 
 consideration of the Social Security Solvency bill, and the 
 Social Security Solvency bill shall be placed on the 
 appropriate calendar.

    (3) Proceeding.--Notwithstanding rule XXII of the Standing 
 Rules of the Senate, it is in order, not later than 2 days of 
 session after the date on which a Social Security Solvency bill 
 is reported or discharged from all committees to which the 
 Social Security Solvency bill was referred, for the majority 
 leader of the Senate or the designee of the majority leader to 
 move to proceed to the consideration of the Social Security 
 Solvency bill. It shall also be in order for any Member of the 
 Senate to move to proceed to the consideration of the Social 
 Security Solvency bill at any time after the conclusion of such 
 2-day period. A motion to proceed is in order even though a 
 previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to. All 
 points of order against the motion to proceed to the Social 
 Security Solvency bill are waived. The motion to proceed is not 
 debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to postpone. A 
 motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to 
 or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed 
 to the consideration of the Social Security Solvency bill is 
 agreed to, the Social Security Solvency bill shall remain the 
 unfinished business until disposed of. All points of order 
 against the Social Security Solvency bill and against 
 consideration of the Social Security Solvency bill are waived.

    (4) No amendments.--An amendment to a Social Security 
 Solvency bill, or a motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed 
 to the consideration of other business, or a motion to recommit 
 the Social Security Solvency bill, is not in order.

    (5) Rulings of the chair on procedure.--Appeals from the 
 decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules 
 of the Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to 
 a Social Security Solvency bill shall be decided without 
 debate.

    (6) Debate.--Debate on the Social Security Solvency bill, 
 and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection 
 therewith, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which 
 shall be divided equally between the majority and minority 
 leaders or their designees.

    (7) Vote on passage.--The vote on passage shall occur 
 immediately following the conclusion of the debate on the 
 Social Security Solvency bill, and a single quorum call at the 
 conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the 
 rules of the Senate.
            (d) Amendment.--A Social Security Solvency bill shall not be 
subject to amendment in either the Senate or the House of 
Representatives.

    (e) Consideration by the Other House.--

    (1) In general.--If, before passing the Social Security 
 Solvency bill, one House receives from the other a Social 
 Security Solvency bill--
        (A) the Social Security Solvency bill of the other 
 House shall not be referred to a committee; and
        (B) the procedure in the receiving House shall be 
 the same as if no Social Security Solvency bill had 
 been received from the other House until the vote on 
 passage, when the Social Security Solvency bill 
 received from the other House shall supplant the Social 
 Security Solvency bill of the receiving House.

    (2) Revenue measure.--This subsection shall not apply to 
 the House of Representatives if the Social Security Solvency 
 bill received from the Senate is a revenue measure.

    (f) Rules To Coordinate Action With Other House.--

    (1) Treatment of social security solvency bill of other 
 house.--If the Senate fails to introduce or consider a Social 
 Security Solvency bill under this section, the Social Security 
 Solvency bill of the House of Representatives shall be entitled 
 to expedited floor procedures under this section.

    (2) Treatment of companion measures in the senate.--If, 
 following passage of the Social Security Solvency bill in the 
 Senate, the Senate then receives the Social Security Solvency 
 bill from the House of Representatives, the House-passed Social 
 Security Solvency bill shall not be debatable. The vote on 
 passage of the Social Security Solvency bill in the Senate 
 shall be considered to be the vote on passage of the Social 
 Security Solvency bill received from the House of 
 Representatives.

    (3) Vetoes.--If the President vetoes the Social Security 
 Solvency bill, debate on a veto message in the Senate under 
 this section shall be 1 hour equally divided between the 
 majority and minority leaders or their designees.
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