Retirement and Income Security Enhancements (RAISE) Act
Latest action. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Retirement and Income Security Enhancements (RAISE) Act
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to entitle divorced spouses to OASDI benefits after 5 (currently 10) years of marriage. Makes the monthly divorced spouse's benefits equal to one-half of the former spouse's primary insurance amount, reduced 10% for each year less than 10 the individual was married to the former spouse.
Revises the widow's or widower's insurance benefit for any month to equal the greater of: (1) the primary insurance amount of a deceased individual (as under current law); or (2) in the case of a fully-insured widow or surviving divorced spouse, 75% of the sum of any old-age or disability insurance benefit to which the widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse is entitled plus the primary insurance amount of the deceased individual.
Reduces a widow's or widower's insurance benefits for any month if that individual is also entitled to an old age or disability insurance benefit greater than the widow's or widower's insurance benefit. Sets the benefit in such a case at the level of the primary insurance amount of the deceased individual.
Amends SSA title II and the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to extend benefits for full-time students up to age 23 (currently age 19) who are enrolled at an educational institution.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an OASDI surtax of: (1) 2% on an employee's income over $400,000 and 2% on the employer, and (2) 4% on an individual's self-employment income over $400,000. Adjusts the $400,0000 threshold each year according to a specified indexing formula.
Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to apply a similar 2% additional tier 1 tax on railroad employees earning over $400,000 as well as 2% on their railroad employers. Imposes a 4% additional tier 1 tax on representatives of railroad employees earning over $400,000. Specifies a formula to index the $400,000 annually after 2015.
The summary continues for 1 more paragraph. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on November 17, 2015. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 17, 2015: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 114th Congress (2015-16), 329 of the 10,233 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.2 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced it on November 17, 2015. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 17, 2015, 3950 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3950 days ago, on November 17, 2015.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 114th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2017 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers