H.R. 1777 — what changed
Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2016
From Introduced in House to Reported in House. 1 section amended between Introduced in House and Reported in House.
Sec. 2 Amendments
Relating to a former President— The first section of the Act entitled “An Act to provide retirement, clerical assistants, and free mailing privileges to former Presidents of the United States, and for other purposes”, approved August 25, 1958 (3 U.S.C. 102 note), is amended by striking the matter before subsection (e) and inserting the following:
“(a) Each former President shall be entitled for the remainder of his or her life to receive from the United States—
“(1) an annuity at the rate of $200,000 per year, subject to subsection (c); and
“(2) a monetary allowance at the rate of $200,000 per year, subject to subsections (c) and (d).
“(b)
“(1) The annuity and allowance under subsection (a) shall each—
“(A) commence on the day after the individual becomes a former President;
“(B) terminate on the last day of the month before the former President dies; and
“(C) be payable by the Secretary of the Treasury on a monthly basis.
changed
“(2) The annuity and allowance under subsection (a) shall not be payable for any period during which the former President holds an appointive or elective position in or under the Federal Government or the government of the District of Columbia to which is attached a rate of pay other than a nominal rate.
“(c) Effective December 1 of each year, each annuity and allowance under subsection (a) having a commencement date that precedes such December 1 shall be increased by the same percentage as the percentage by which benefit amounts under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 and following) are increased, effective as of such December 1, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
“(d)
“(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the monetary allowance payable under subsection (a)(2) to a former President for any 12-month period may not exceed the amount by which—
“(A) the monetary allowance which (but for this subsection) would otherwise be so payable for such 12-month period, exceeds (if at all)
“(B) the applicable reduction amount for such 12-month period.
“(2)
“(A) For purposes of paragraph (1), the applicable reduction amount is, with respect to any former President and in connection with any 12-month period, the amount by which—
“(i) the sum of (I) the adjusted gross income (as defined by section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) of the former President for the last taxable year ending before the start of such 12-month period, plus (II) any interest excluded from the gross income of the former President under section 103 of such Code for such taxable year, exceeds (if at all)
“(ii) $400,000, subject to subparagraph (C).
“(B) In the case of a joint return, subclauses (I) and (II) of subparagraph (A)(i) shall be applied by taking into account both the amounts properly allocable to the former President and the amounts properly allocable to the spouse of the former President.
“(C) The dollar amount specified in subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be adjusted at the same time that, and by the same percentage as the percentage by which, the monetary allowance of the former President is increased under subsection (c) (disregarding this subsection).”
Relating to the surviving spouse of a former President—
Increase in amount of monetary allowance— Subsection (e) of the section amended by subsection (a) is amended—
in the first sentence, by striking “$20,000 per annum,” and inserting “$100,000 per year (subject to paragraph (4)),”; and
in the second sentence—
in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
changed
in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and(3)—
added
by striking “or the government of the District of Columbia”; and
added
by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
by adding after paragraph (3) the following:
“(4) shall, after its commencement date, be increased at the same time that, and by the same percentage as the percentage by which, annuities of former Presidents are increased under subsection (c).”
Coverage of widower of a former President— Such subsection (e), as amended by paragraph (1), is further amended—
by striking “widow” each place it appears and inserting “widow or widower”; and
by striking “she” and inserting “she or he”.