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[DOCID: f:h1573ih.txt]






                                    


107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1573

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide more revenue for 
the Social Security system by imposing a tax on certain unearned income 
  and to provide tax relief for more than 80,000,000 individuals and 
  families who pay more in Social Security taxes than income taxes by 
 reducing the rate of the old age, survivors, and disability insurance 
                      Social Security payroll tax.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2001

  Mr. Owens introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide more revenue for 
the Social Security system by imposing a tax on certain unearned income 
  and to provide tax relief for more than 80,000,000 individuals and 
  families who pay more in Social Security taxes than income taxes by 
 reducing the rate of the old age, survivors, and disability insurance 
                      Social Security payroll tax.

    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 ``Social Security Protection and Tax 
Relief Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Working people are subject to social security taxes as 
        well as income taxes, and for over 90 percent of the population 
        the combined tax on earned income is higher than the income tax 
        rates of 15 percent and 28 percent that apply to unearned 
        income.
            (2) There is no logical reason why social security taxes 
        should be imposed only on earnings and not on unearned income 
        (such as dividends, interest, rent income, and capital gains).

SEC. 3. SOCIAL SECURITY TAX ON CERTAIN UNEARNED INCOME.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 (relating to determination of tax liability) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new part:

      ``PART VIII--SOCIAL SECURITY TAX ON CERTAIN UNEARNED INCOME

                              ``Sec. 59B. Social security tax on 
                                        certain unearned income.

``SEC. 59B. SOCIAL SECURITY TAX ON CERTAIN UNEARNED INCOME.

    ``(a) Imposition of Tax.--In the case of an individual, there is 
hereby imposed (in addition to any other tax imposed by this subtitle) 
for each taxable year a tax equal to 12 percent of such individual's 
social security taxable income for such taxable year.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Social security taxable income.--The term `social 
        security taxable income' means adjusted gross income reduced by 
        the greater of--
                    ``(A) the sum of--
                            ``(i) the standard deduction applicable to 
                        the taxpayer (or which would be applicable if 
                        the taxpayer did not elect to itemize 
                        deductions for the taxable year), and
                            ``(ii) the deduction for personal 
                        exemptions under section 151 (determined 
                        without regard to subsection (d)(3) thereof), 
                        or
                    ``(B) the aggregate exempt income of the taxpayer 
                for the taxable year.
            ``(2) Exempt income.--The term `exempt income' means the 
        following amounts to the extent included in gross income:
                    ``(A) Amounts received as a pension or annuity from 
                a qualified plan (as defined in section 4980(c)(1)).
                    ``(B) Amounts received as a social security benefit 
                (as defined in section 86(d)).
                    ``(C) Amounts received as earned income (within the 
                meaning of section 911(d)).
    ``(c) Credits Not Allowed, Etc.--The tax imposed by this section 
shall not be treated as a tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of 
determining--
            ``(1) the amount of any credit allowable under this 
        chapter, or
            ``(2) the amount of the minimum tax imposed by section 
        55.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of parts for subchapter A of 
chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following 
new item:

                              ``Part VIII. Social security tax on 
                                        certain unearned income.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2001.
    (d) Transfers to Trust Funds.--
            (1) In general.--There are hereby appropriated to the payor 
        funds amounts equivalent to the tax imposed by section 59B of 
        such Code (as added by this section). The Secretary of the 
        Treasury shall make appropriate allocations of revenue received 
        in the general fund of the Treasury to each payor fund.
            (2) Transfers.--The amounts appropriated by paragraph (1) 
        to any payor fund shall be transferred from time to time (but 
        not less frequently than quarterly) from the general fund of 
        the Treasury on the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of 
        the Treasury of the amounts referred to in such paragraph. Any 
        such quarterly payment shall be made on the first day of such 
        quarter and shall take into account revenue estimated to be 
        received during such quarter. Proper adjustments shall be made 
        in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior 
        estimates were in excess of or less than the amounts required 
        to be transferred.
            (3) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection--
                    (A) Payor fund.--The term ``payor fund'' means any 
                trust fund or account from which payments of social 
                security benefits are made.
                    (B) Social security benefits.--The term ``social 
                security benefits'' has the meaning given such term by 
                section 86(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

SEC. 4. CHANGE IN RATES OF SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES.

    (a) Decrease in Rate of OASDI Tax on Employees.--The table in 
section 3101(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by 
striking the last item and inserting the following:

    ``1990 or any year before 2002................      6.2 percent    
    ``2002 or thereafter..........................  4.95 percent.''    

    (b) Decrease in Rate of OASDI Tax on Employers.--The table in 
section 3111(a) of such Code is amended by striking the last item and 
inserting the following:

    ``1990 or any year before 2002................      6.2 percent    
    ``2002 or thereafter..........................  4.95 percent.''    

    (c) Decrease in Rate of OASDI Tax on Self-Employment Income.--The 
table in section 1401(a) of such Code is amended by striking the last 
item and inserting the following:
      

``December 31, 1989.................  January 1, 2002........       12.4
``December 31, 2001.................  .......................     9.9.''
 

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