119th Congress (2025-2026)

HR 5841

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

Introduced

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

House

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill, the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, aims to improve the accuracy of cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security benefits. Specifically, it directs the Social Security Administration to use either the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers or the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers when calculating COLAs. The bill also clarifies how COLAs are determined for benefits received before 1979 and establishes a process for publishing a dedicated Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers.

Key provisions

Requires the use of either the CPI-W or CPI-E for calculating Social Security COLAs.
Modifies the calculation of COLAs for benefits received before 1979.
Establishes a new Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) to be published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prevents other laws from using the same percentage adjustment as Social Security COLAs.
Specifies a transition rule for using the R-CPI-E index before the CPI-E is fully published.
Defines the scope of the CPI-E index as expenditures for consumption typical of individuals aged 62 and older.

Who is affected

Senior citizens receiving Social Security benefits
The Social Security Administration
The Bureau of Labor Statistics

Notable changes

Shifts the index used to calculate COLAs from the standard CPI to either CPI-W or CPI-E.

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

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Arguments opposed

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Legislative history

2025-10-28House

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

2025-10-28House

2025-10-28

Introduced in House

2025-10-28

Introduced in House

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Oct 28, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

H. R. 5841

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to require the Commissioner of Social Security to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers for purposes of determining cost-of-living adjustments under titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

2.More accurate cost-of-living adjustment

(a)In general

(1)In general

Section 215(i)(1)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)(D)) is amended by striking Consumer Price Index and all that follows through such index and inserting Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI–W, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor) or Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E, as published by such Bureau) (whichever such index results in the higher percentage under this subparagraph) exceeds the same such index.

(2)Conforming amendment

Section 215(i)(1)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)(G)) is amended by inserting applicable for purposes of subparagraph (D) after Consumer Price Index.

(b)Application to pre-1979 law

(1)In general

Section 215(i) of the Social Security Act as in effect in December 1978, and as applied in certain cases under the provisions of such Act as in effect after December 1978, is amended—

(A)

in paragraph (1)(B), by striking Consumer Price Index and all that follows through such Index and inserting Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI–W, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor) or Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E, as published by such Bureau of such Department) (whichever such index results in the higher per centum under this subparagraph) exceeds, by not less than 3 per centum, the same such Index; and

(B)

in paragraph (2)—

(i)

in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking Consumer Price Index for such cost-of-living computation quarter and inserting Consumer Price Index applicable for such year under paragraph (1)(B); and

(ii)in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking Consumer Price Index as published for any month exceeds by 2.5 percent or more the level of such index and inserting Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers or Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers as published for any month exceeds by 2.5 percent or more the level of such index.

(2)Conforming changes

Section 215(i)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(4)) is amended—

(A)by striking and by section 9001 and inserting , section 9001; and

(B)by inserting and section 2 of the

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

, after 1986,.

(c)No effect on adjustments under other lawsSection 215(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(6)With respect to any provision of law (other than in this title, title VIII, or title XVI) which provides for an adjustment of an amount under such provision of law in the same percentage as a cost-of-living adjustment applied to benefit amounts under this title, such provision of law shall be applied and administered as if the percentage of such cost-of-living adjustment applied to benefit amounts under this title were determined without regard to the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) of section 2 of the

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

(d)Publication of Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish an index for each calendar month to be known as the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption which are typical for individuals in the United States who have attained age 62.

(e)Transition rulePrior to the publication of the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E) pursuant to subsection (d), the reference to such index made in each of the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall be deemed to be a reference to the research price index prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor known as the Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 years of age and older (R–CPI–E).

(f)Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall apply to determinations made with respect to cost-of-living computation quarters (as defined in section 215(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)(B))) ending on or after September 30, 2026.

HR 5841