Bill > HR6543

This bill provides special provisions for health care workers and first responders related to Social Security retirement earnings. Specifically, the bill exempts wages earned by health care professionals and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic (from January 31, 2020, to May 11, 2023) from being counted toward the Social Security retirement earnings test, which normally limits how much money retirees can earn before their Social Security benefits are reduced. The bill also establishes a framework for future public health emergencies, allowing the Social Security Commissioner to issue waivers for health care workers and first responders during declared public health emergencies where there are worker shortages. The Commissioner is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing these waivers. The bill defines health care professionals and first responders by referencing existing definitions in federal law, ensuring that these terms have precise, legally established meanings. By excluding these essential workers' pandemic-era earnings from retirement benefit calculations, the bill aims to provide financial protection and recognition for those who worked on the front lines during critical health crises.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6543/all-info