Legislative Tracker - Grid

Medicare Economic Security Solutions Act

This bill modifies provisions relating to enrollment periods for Medicare medical services.

Among other things, the bill establishes a late enrollment penalty of 15% of monthly premiums and applies the penalty for a period equal to twice the number of months in each 12-month period during which the individual was not enrolled. Currently, the late enrollment penalty is 10% of monthly premiums for each 12-month period during which the individual was not enrolled, and the penalty continues to apply for as long as the individual is enrolled in Medicare medical services.

The bill also expands the special enrollment periods to individuals who have health insurance coverage other than through their employer.

Time Off to Vote Act

This bill requires an employer, upon the request of an employee, to provide the employee with a minimum of two consecutive hours of paid leave while polls or sites that facilitate voting-related activity are open on the day of a federal election. This allotted time may be used to vote, return a mail-in ballot, or perform other voting-related activities.

The employer may determine the two-hour period, excluding any lunch break or other break.

Taking such leave shall not result in the employee losing accrued employment benefits.

The bill makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with the right to take such leave or for an employer to discriminate against an employee for taking such leave. Further, the bill makes it unlawful for any employer to retaliate against an employee for (1) opposing any practice made unlawful by this bill; (2) filing a charge, or instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding, under or related to this bill; or (3) testifying or preparing to testify in an inquiry or proceeding relating to such leave.

The bill specifies penalties for employers who violate these provisions.

Claiming Age Clarity Act

This bill changes certain terms that are used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to describe the ages at which a worker may claim Social Security retirement benefits.

First, the SSA must use minimum monthly benefit age instead of early eligibility age. This refers to the earliest age (62 under current law) at which a worker may claim benefits. (Currently, the benefit amount of a worker who claims benefits early is reduced to account for the longer period during which the worker is expected to receive benefits.)

Second, the SSA must use standard monthly benefit age instead of full retirement age and normal retirement age. These terms refer to the age at which a worker may claim benefits without a reduction in the benefit amount. (Currently, this age ranges from 65 to 67, depending on the worker's year of birth.)

Finally, the SSA must use the term maximum monthly benefit age for any reference to age 70 as the maximum age at which a worker may receive delayed retirement credits. The SSA may not use the term delayed retirement credit. These terms refer to the mechanism that increases the benefit amount of a worker who delays claiming benefits after reaching the full retirement age. (Currently, a worker receives a credit for each month between the full retirement age and age 70 that the worker delays claiming benefits. Each credit increases the benefit amount that the worker will receive after claiming benefits by a specified percentage.)