text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security Caregiver Credit Act 
  of 2018''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds that:
              (1) Caregiving is an essential element of family life and a 
          vital service for children, the ill, the disabled, and the 
          elderly.
              (2) The establishment of a caregiver credit would bolster 
          the economic prospects of unpaid caregivers and would provide 
          them with vital retirement security.
              (3) The 2018 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the 
          Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability 
          Insurance Trust Funds concluded that the combined Trust Funds 
          will be able to pay scheduled benefits in full until 2034.
              (4) While there is no immediate crisis, policy options 
          should be considered to extend OASDI solvency, including by 
          eradicating the gender wage gap, increasing overall employment, 
          or increasing the minimum wage.
  
  SEC. 3. DEEMED WAGES FOR CAREGIVERS OF DEPENDENT RELATIVES.
  
      (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 caregivers of dependent relatives
  
      ``Sec. 235.  (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
              ``(1) The term `qualifying month' means, in connection with 
          an individual, a month during which such individual was engaged 
          for not less than 80 hours in providing care to a dependent 
          relative without monetary compensation. Such term does not 
          include any month ending after the date on which such 
          individual attains retirement age (as defined in section 
          216(l)).
              ``(2) The term `dependent relative' means, in connection 
          with an individual--
                      ``(A) a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew (of 
                  such individual or such individual's spouse or domestic 
                  partner), or a child to which the individual or the 
                  individual's spouse or domestic partner is standing in 
                  loco parentis, who is under the age of 12, or
                      ``(B) a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew (of 
                  such individual or such individual's spouse or domestic 
                  partner), a child to which the individual or the 
                  individual's spouse or domestic partner is standing in 
                  loco parentis, a parent, aunt, or uncle (of such 
                  individual or his or her spouse or domestic partner), 
                  or such individual's spouse or domestic partner, if 
                  such child, grandchild, niece, nephew, parent, aunt, 
                  uncle, spouse, or domestic partner is a chronically 
                  dependent individual.
              ``(3)(A) The term `chronically dependent individual' means 
          an individual who--
                      ``(i) is dependent on a daily basis on verbal 
                  reminding, physical cueing, supervision, or other 
                  assistance provided to the individual by another person 
                  in the performance of at least two of the activities of 
                  daily living (described in subparagraph (B)), and
                      ``(ii) without the assistance described in clause 
                  (i), could not perform such activities of daily living.
              ``(B) The `activities of daily living' referred to in 
          subparagraph (A) are the following:
                      ``(i) Eating.
                      ``(ii) Bathing.
                      ``(iii) Dressing.
                      ``(iv) Toileting.
                      ``(v) Transferring in and out of a bed or in and 
                  out of a chair.
      ``(b) Deemed Wages of Caregiver.--(1)(A) For purposes of 
  determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit for 
  any month after December 2018, or entitlement to and the amount of any 
  lump-sum death payment in the case of a death after such month, payable 
  under this title on the basis of the wages and self-employment income 
  of any individual, and for purposes of section 216(i)(3), such 
  individual shall be deemed to have been paid during each qualifying 
  month (in addition to wages or self-employment income actually paid to 
  or derived by such individual during such month) at an amount per month 
  equal to--
              ``(i) in the case of a qualifying month during which no 
          wages or self-employment income were actually paid to or 
          derived by such individual, 50 percent 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; and
              ``(ii) in the case of any other qualifying month, the 
          excess of the amount determined under clause (i) over \1/2\ of 
          the wages or self-employment income actually paid to or derived 
          by such individual during such month.
      ``(B) In any case in which there are more than 60 qualifying months 
  for an individual, only the last 60 of such months shall be taken into 
  account for purposes of this section.
      ``(2) 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) Identification Requirements.--A qualifying month shall not be 
  taken into account under this section with respect to an individual 
  unless such individual provides the Commissioner of Social Security 
  with the name and identifying information of the dependent relative 
  with respect to whom the individual was engaged in providing care 
  during such month, and other information as the Commissioner may 
  require to verify the status of the dependent relative, on whatever 
  application may be required to obtain benefits under this section.''.
      (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)''; and
              (2) by inserting ``and 235(b)(1)(A)(i),'' after ``1977),''.
target: Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2018 This bill credits an&nbsp;individual with deemed wages, for purposes of calculating Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits,&nbsp;for up to five years of service as a caregiver of a dependent relative. Specifically, an individual shall be deemed to have been paid a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month in which the individual was engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation. However, this requirement&nbsp;shall not apply if a larger benefit or payment would otherwise be payable. 
feat_title: Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2018