Strengthening Social Security for Survivors Act
This bill allows eligible widows, widowers, surviving former spouses, parents, and children of a deceased worker to claim Social Security survivor benefits retroactive to the date of the worker's death.
Current law limits retroactive claims for survivors benefits to six months.
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to extend the 
 retroactivity of applications for survivor's insurance benefits, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Social Security for 
Survivors Act''.

SEC. 2. RETROACTIVE APPLICATIONS FOR SURVIVORS.

    (a) In General.--Section 202(j)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 402(j)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) by striking ``(i) is filing application for a 
                benefit under subsection (e) or (f), and satisfies 
                paragraph (1)(B) of such subsection by reason of clause 
                (ii) thereof, or (ii)''; and
                    (B) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
                    ``(B) any month succeeding such month in any case 
                where the individual is filing application for a 
                benefit under subsection (d), (e), (f), (g), or (h) and 
                the entitlement of the individual to such benefit is 
                established upon the death of the individual upon whose 
                wages and self-employment income such entitlement is 
                based, or''; and
            (4) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated by paragraph (2), 
        by striking ``subparagraph (A) does not apply'' and inserting 
        ``the preceding subparagraphs do not apply''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to applications for monthly insurance benefits filed 
on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
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Strengthening Social Security for Survivors Act
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to extend the retroactivity of applications for survivor's insurance benefits, and for other purposes.
Strengthening Social Security for Survivors Act
Rep. Estes, Ron