An act to amend the Social Security Act with respect to the retirement tests, to reduce spending under title II of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-473 · H.R. 5295 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 19, 1980 · Social Welfare
Sponsor: Rep. Jake Pickle (D-TX-10)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Andrew Jacobs
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(House agreed to Senate amendments with an amendment)
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to provide that in the case of an individual receiving: (1) wife's insurance benefits by reason of having a child in her care; (2) child's benefits; or (3) mother's benefits, a monthly test of excess earnings under the earnings test shall apply in the year in which entitlement to such benefits ends. Makes this provision retroactive to January 1978.
Makes Medicare hospital insurance benefits available to individuals who are entitled to OASDI benefits but who have not applied for such benefits by providing for separate applications for the two types of benefits.
Disregards after December 1977, for purposes of computing the amount of OASDI benefits, any income attributable to services performed before becoming eligible for OASDI.
Permits an individual to use the monthly (instead of annual) earnings test during the first year, after 1977, of the individual's entitlement to OASDI benefits.
Prevents the payment of disability benefits to an individual where the disability occurred in connection with the commission of a crime for which the individual was convicted or where the disability arose from the individual's confinement in a penal institution. Excludes from the definition of "full-time student" any individual incarcerated in a penal institution pursuant to a felony conviction. Prohibits the payment of old-age disability insurance benefits to any individual for any month during which such individual is confined in a penal institution or correctional facility. Requires that benefits payable to any individual (other than an individual confined in a penal institution) on the basis of a confined individual's earnings shall be payable as though the confined individual were receiving benefits.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Oct 19, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-473.
- Oct 10, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 9, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 8, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 1, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments with an amendment.
- Sep 30, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Sep 24, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Finance Committee
- Dec 20, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
- Dec 19, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #751 (383-0).House roll call 751
- Dec 12, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
- Sep 14, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.