the social security act became law in 1935.
the social security act became law in 1935.
when did the social security act become law?
1935
in january 1935, roosevelt proposed the social security act, which he presented as a more practical alternative to the townsend plan. after a series of congressional hearings, the social security act became law in august 1935. during the congressional debate over social security, the program was expanded to provide payments to widows and dependents of social security recipients. job categories that were not covered by the act included workers in agricultural labor, domestic service, government employees, and many teachers, nurses, hospital employees, librarians, and social workers. the program was funded through a newly established a payroll tax which later became known as the federal insurance contributions act tax. social security taxes would be collected from employers by the states, with employers and employees contributing equally to the tax. because the social security tax was regressive, and social security benefits were based on how much each individual had paid into the system, the program would not contribute to income redistribution in the way that some reformers, including perkins, had hoped. in addition to creating the social security program, the social security act also established a state-administered unemployment insurance system and the aid to dependent children program, which provided aid to families headed by single mothers. compared with the social security systems in western european countries, the social security act of 1935 was rather conservative. but for the first time the federal government took responsibility for the economic security of the aged, the temporarily unemployed, dependent children and the handicapped. reflecting the continuing importance of the social security act, biographer kenneth s. davis later called the social security act "the most important single piece of social legislation in all american history."
presidency of franklin d. roosevelt, first and second terms
public law 78-458









































title xii









































section::::amendments.:social security act amendments of 1946.









































h.r.7037 approved, august 10, 1946









































public law 79-719









































title xiii









































section::::amendments.:social security act amendments of 1950.









































h.r.6000 approved august 28, 1950









































public law 81-734









































these amendments raised benefits for the first time and placed the program on the road to the virtually universal coverage it has today. specifically it is the introduction of the cost-of-living adjustment (cola).









































section::::amendments.:h.r.6291.









































approved june 28, 1952









































public law 82-420









































section::::amendments.:social security act amendments of 1952.









































h.r.7800 approved, july 18, 1952









































public law 82-590









































section::::amendments.:social security act amendments of 1954.
social security act