Protecting Our Widows and Widowers in Retirement Act
In committee: it can still change before the session ends.
- Stage
- In committee
- Started in
- House
- Sponsors
- 7
- Latest action
- Sep 2, 2026
What it does
The Protecting Our Widows and Widowers in Retirement Act (POWR Act) would amend the Social Security Act to increase survivor benefits for widows and widowers from two-income households by allowing them to receive the greater of their deceased spouse’s full benefit or 75% of the sum of their own benefit and their spouse’s benefit, subject to a cap based on a hypothetical worker earning 1⅓ times the national average wage. The bill also ensures that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and payments are not negatively affected by these changes, holding beneficiaries harmless. The amendments would apply to benefits payable for months after December 2026.
No official summary is available here. This one was written by AI from the bill’s text.
Where it stands
Introduced (Done)
Committee (Current step)
Floor (Not started)
Law (Not started)
What moved
Who is involved
Sponsors
The lawmakers who put their names on it, lead sponsors first.
In the news
Reporting that may mention this subject. Possible matches are labeled.
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Where it goes next
While a bill can still move, the questions are about people and money.