H-748                _______________________________________________

                                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives van Dyke, Brooks and Tilly

Read first time 2/1/85 and referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The changes made in 1977 in the Social Security benefit computation formula have created a disparity between the benefit levels of individuals becoming eligible for benefits in or after 1979 and the benefit levels of persons who became eligible for benefits before 1979; this benefit disparity being known as the notch problem; and

          WHEREAS, This disparity in benefit levels should be corrected in order to insure the equitable and fair treatment of persons who based their retirement plans on benefit levels which have existed for the past decade;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress recognize the necessity of eliminating the benefit disparity known as the notch problem which resulted from the 1977 decoupling changes in the Social Security benefit computation formula.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.