# 116-hr-5392: Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019

116-hr-5392, Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI); status Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5392
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5392
- Congress: 116
- Title: Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Introduced: 2019-12-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Social Welfare
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019 This bill makes various changes to the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program (commonly known as Social Security) to increase payroll tax rates and certain benefits. Under current law, Social Security has a taxable earnings base, which refers to the maximum amount of a worker's earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes (set at $137,700 in 2020). Additionally, the taxable earnings base serves as the maximum amount of earnings used to calculate a worker's Social Security benefits. This bill gradually increases the Social Security payroll tax rate from 6.2% to 6.5% over six years. It also phases out the taxable earnings base, thereby applying the payroll taxes to a greater amount of a worker's earnings, and revises the method to calculate a worker's Social Security benefits to account for earnings in excess of the taxable earnings base. Other changes to benefits include establishing a new method to calculate benefits for lifetime low earners and increasing benefits for certain beneficiaries on account of long-term eligibility. In addition, an eligible child of a retired, disabled, or deceased worker may continue to receive benefits through age 26, provided the child is a full-time student.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Payne, Donald M., Jr. [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2019-12-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8402: To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and to place the statue in the United States Capitol in National Statuar…
- 116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act
- 116-hr-2: Moving Forward Act
- 116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020
- 116-hr-6902: Black History is American History Act
- 116-hr-6437: Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-5392 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5392)

## Related
- [116-hr-8402: To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Ruth Bader G…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8402)
- [116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8015)
- [116-hr-2: Moving Forward Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2)
- [116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7120)
- [116-hr-6902: Black History is American History Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-6902)
- [116-hr-6437: Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-6437)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5392 (as of 2025-11-18).