119-s657

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 657 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 657

 To amend the Social Security Act to provide retirement security to 
 United States nationals who were unlawfully or wrongfully detained or 
 held hostage abroad.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 20, 2025

 Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Collins, and Mr. 
Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
 to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Social Security Act to provide retirement security to 
 United States nationals who were unlawfully or wrongfully detained or 
 held hostage abroad.

 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 ``Retirement Security for American 
Hostages Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEEMED WAGES FOR HOSTAGES AND INDIVIDUALS WRONGFULLY DETAINED 
 ABROAD.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Social Security Act is amended by 
adding after 

section 234 (42 U.S.C. 434) the following new section:

 ``deemed wages for hostages and individuals wrongfully detained abroad

 ``

Sec. 235.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-For purposes of this section--
 ``

    (1) Qualifying month.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph
        (B) , the 
 term `qualifying month' means, in connection with an 
 individual, any month--
 ``
            (i) beginning before, on, or after the 
 date of enactment of this section, and
 ``
            (ii) during which such individual was--
 ``
            (I) unlawfully or wrongfully 
 detained abroad; or
 ``
            (II) held hostage abroad.
 ``
        (B) Exception.--The term `qualifying month' does 
 not include any month ending after the date on which 
 such individual attains retirement age (as defined in 
 

section 216
            (l) ).
 ``

    (2) Qualifying individual.--The term `qualifying 
 individual' means an individual who is--
 ``
        (A) a United States national unlawfully or 
 wrongfully detained abroad, as determined under 

section 302 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and 
 Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741); or
 ``
        (B) a United States national taken hostage 
 abroad, as determined pursuant to the findings of the 
 Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (as described in 

section 304 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and 
 Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741b)).
 ``

    (b) Deemed Wages.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--For purposes of determining entitlement 
 to and the amount of any monthly benefit for any month, or 
 entitlement to and the amount of any lump-sum death payment in 
 the case of a death, payable under this title on the basis of 
 the wages and self-employment income of any qualifying 
 individual, such individual shall be deemed to have been paid 
 during each qualifying month at an amount per month equal to 
 \1/12\ \th\ of the national average wage index (as defined in 
 

section 209

    (k)

    (1) ) for the second calendar year preceding the 
 calendar year in which such month occurs.
 ``

    (2) Exception.--Paragraph

    (1) shall not be applicable in 
 the case of any monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a 
 larger such benefit or payment, as the case may be, would be 
 payable without its application.
 ``
            (c) Rules and Regulations.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 the enactment of this section, the Commissioner of Social 
 Security shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to 
 carry out this section, including regulations establishing 
 procedures for the application and certification requirements 
 described in paragraph

    (2) .
 ``

    (2) Application and certification requirements.--A 
 qualifying month shall not be taken into account under this 
 section with respect to an individual unless the individual (or 
 any other individual entitled to any benefit or payment payable 
 under this title on the basis of the wages and self-employment 
 income of such individual) submits to the Commissioner of 
 Social Security an application for benefits under this section 
 that includes--
 ``
        (A) documentation of a determination made by a 
 Federal agency that the individual satisfies the 
 requirements under subsection

    (a)

    (2) with respect to a 
 qualifying individual, including the period during 
 which the individual was--
 ``
            (i) unlawfully or wrongfully detained 
 abroad; or
 ``
            (ii) held hostage abroad; and
 ``
        (B) such other information as the Commissioner 
 may require.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--

Section 209

    (k)

    (1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
409

    (k)

    (1) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``and'' before ``230

    (b)

    (2) '' the first time 
 it appears; and

    (2) by inserting ``and 235

    (b)

    (1) ,'' after ``1977),''.
            (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date which is 24 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
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