← Back to Bills
H.R. 5841House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act

Sponsored by Nikki BudzinskiRep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL)
Introduced October 28, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM UTC

The Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act changes how Social Security calculates annual cost‑of‑living adjustments. It tells the agency to use the higher of the standard CPI‑W or a new CPI‑E that tracks spending by seniors, aiming to increase benefit growth for older Americans. The rule applies to Social Security retirement, disability, and survivor benefits and will start for benefit periods ending after September 30, 2026.

Key Provisions

  • Requires the Social Security Administration to calculate cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLAs) using either the CPI‑W (for urban wage earners) or the newly created CPI‑E (for elderly consumers), whichever gives the higher percentage.
  • Applies this rule to Social Security benefits under titles II, VIII, and XVI, and updates related pre‑1979 provisions to use the same higher‑of‑two‑indexes standard.
  • Orders the Bureau of Labor Statistics to publish a monthly CPI‑E that reflects spending patterns of people aged 62 and older.
  • Sets a transition rule that, until the CPI‑E is published, the agency will use an existing research CPI‑E as a stand‑in.
  • Specifies that the changes take effect for benefit periods ending on or after September 30, 2026, and clarifies that other laws’ COLA calculations are not altered by this amendment.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

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.

Ways and Means Committee

October 28, 2025

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 28, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

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.

Ways and Means Committee

October 28, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued October 28, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5841

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 28, 2025

Ms. Budzinski (for herself, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, and Mr. Magaziner) introduced the following bill; which was 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

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 laws

Section 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 rule

Prior 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.