EXPANSION OF WIDOW’S AND WIDOWER’S BENEFITS.

SEC. 101. EXPANSION OF WIDOW’S AND WIDOWER’S BENEFITS. (a) In General.—Section 4(g) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231c(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subdivision: “(10)(i) If for any month the unreduced annuity provided under this section for a widow or widower is less than the widow’s or widower’s initial minimum amount computed pursuant to paragraph (ii) of this subdivision, the unreduced annuity shall be increased to that initial minimum amount. For the purposes of this subdivision, the unreduced annuity is the annuity without regard to any deduction on account of work, without regard to any reduction for entitlement to an annuity under section 2(a)(1) of this Act, without regard to any reduction for entitlement to 115 STAT. 879a benefit under title 11 of the Social Security Act, and without regard to any reduction for entitlement to a public service pension pursuant to section 202(e)(7), 202(f)(2), or 202(g)(4) of the Social Security Act. “(ii) For the purposes of this subdivision, the widow or widower’s initial minimum amount is the amount of the unreduced annuity computed at the time an annuity is awarded to that widow or widower, except that— “(A) in subsection (g)(1)(i) ‘100 per centum’ shall be substituted for ‘50 per centum’; and “(B) in subsection (g)(2)(ii) ‘130 per centum’ shall be substituted for ‘80 per centum’ both places it appears. “(iii) If a widow or widower who was previously entitled to a widow’s or widower’s annuity under section 2(d)(1)(ii) of this Act becomes entitled to a widow’s or widower’s annuity under section 2(d)(1)(i) of this Act, a new initial minimum amount shall be computed at the time of award of the widow’s or widower’s annuity under section 2(d)(1)(i) of this Act.”. (b) Effective Date.— (1) In general.—The amendment made by this section shall take effect on the first day of the first month that begins more than 30 days after enactment, and shall apply to annuity amounts accruing for months after the effective date in the case of annuities awarded— (A) on or after that date; and (B) before that date, but only if the annuity amount under section 4(g) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231c(g)) was computed under such section, as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97–35; 95 Stat. 357). (2) Special rule for annuities awarded before the effective date.—In applying the amendment made by this section to annuities awarded before the effective date, the calculation of the initial minimum amount under new section 4(g)(10)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 23 lc(g)(10)(ii)), as added by subsection (a), shall be made as of the date of the award of the widow’s or widower’s annuity.