,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #feg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bj1      
#bjbe,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,ms4 ,collins1   
and ,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the         
following bill2 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 abroad4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,retirement ,security for ,american 
,hostages ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,deemed   
wages for hostages and individuals      
wrongfully detained abroad  7a7 ,in     
general ,title ,,ii of the ,social      
,security ,act is amended by adding     
after section #bcd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcd7 
the following new section3  #bce4       
,deemed wages for hostages and          
individuals wrongfully detained abroad  
7a7 ,definitions ,for purposes of this  

section-- 7#a7 ,qualifying month  7,a7  
,in general ,subject to subparagraph    
7,b71 the term qualifying month means1  
in connection with an individual1 any   
month-- 7i7 beginning before1 on1 or    
after the date of enactment of this     
section1 and  7ii7 during which such    
individual was-- 7,i7 unlawfully or     
wrongfully detained abroad2 or  7,,ii7  
held hostage abroad4  7,b7 ,exception   
,the term qualifying month does not     
include any month ending after the date 
on which such individual attains        
retirement age 7as defined in section   
#baf7l774  7#b7 ,qualifying individual  
,the term qualifying individual means an
 individual who is-- 7,a7 a ,united     
,states national unlawfully or          
wrongfully detained abroad1 as          
determined under section #cjb of the    
,robert ,levinson ,hostage ,recovery and
 ,hostage-,taking ,accountability ,act  
7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #agda72 or  7,b7 a       
,united ,states national taken hostage  
abroad1 as determined pursuant to the   

findings of the ,hostage ,recovery      
,fusion ,cell 7as described in section  
#cjd of the ,robert ,levinson ,hostage  
,recovery and ,hostage-,taking          
,accountability ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4     
#agda;b774  7b7 ,deemed ,wages  7#a7 ,in
 general ,for purposes of determining   
entitlement to and the amount of any    
monthly benefit for any month1 or       
entitlement to and the amount of any    
lump-sum death payment in the case of a 
death1 payable under this title on the  
basis of the wages and self-employment  
income of any qualifying individual1    
such individual shall be deemed to have 
been paid during each qualifying month  
at an amount per month equal to #a_/abth
 of the national average wage index 7as 
defined in section #bji7k77#a77 for the 
second calendar year preceding the      
calendar year in which such month       
occurs4  7#b7 ,exception ,paragraph 7#a7
 shall not be applicable in the case of 
any monthly benefit or lump-sum death   
payment if a larger such benefit or     

payment1 as the case may be1 would be   
payable without its application4  7c7   
,rules and regulations  7#a7 ,in general
 ,not later than #a year after the date 
of the enactment of this section1 the   
,commissioner of ,social ,security shall
 promulgate such regulations as are     
necessary to carry out this section1    
including regulations establishing      
procedures for the application and      
certification requirements described in 
paragraph 7#b74  7#b7 ,application and  
certification requirements ,a qualifying
 month shall not be taken into account  
under this section with respect to an   
individual unless the individual 7or 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          
individual7 submits to the ,commissioner
 of ,social ,security an application for
 benefits under this section that       
includes-- 7,a7 documentation of a      
determination made by a ,federal agency 

that the individual satisfies the       
requirements under subsection 7a77#b7   
with respect to a qualifying individual1
 including the period during which the  
individual was-- 7i7 unlawfully or      
wrongfully detained abroad2 or  7ii7    
held hostage abroad2 and  7,b7 such     
other information as the ,commissioner  
may require4  4  7b7 ,conforming        
amendment ,section #bji7k77#a7 of such  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dji7k77#a77 is     
amended-- 7#a7 by striking and before   
#bcj7;b77#b7 the first time it appears2 
and  7#b7 by inserting and #bce7;b77#a71
 after #aigg714  7c7 ,effective date    
,the amendments made by this section    
shall take effect on the date which is  
#bd months after the date of enactment  
of this ,act4