For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 5, 2003
Message to the Congress of the United States
Pursuant to section 233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Social Security Amendments of 1977
(Public Law 95‑216, 42 U.S.C. 433(e)(1)), I transmit herewith the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Norway on Social Security, with a related administrative agreement, both signed at Oslo on November 30, 2001. This revised Agreement is intended to modify certain provisions of the original United States and Norwegian Agreement, which was signed in Washington on January 13, 1983, and, upon its entry into force, will replace the 1983 Agreement.
The revised United States-Norwegian Agreement is similar in
objective to the other social security agreements already in force with
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Such bilateral agreements
provide for limited coordination between the United States and foreign
social security systems to eliminate dual social security coverage and
taxation, and to help prevent the lost benefit protection that can
occur when workers divide their careers between two countries. The
revised United States-Norwegian Agreement
contains all provisions mandated by section 233 and other
provisions, which I deem appropriate to carry out the purposes of
section 233, pursuant to section 233(c)(4).
I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report
prepared by the Social Security Administration explaining the key
points of the Agreement, along with a paragraphbyparagraph explanation
of the provisions of the principal agreement and the administrative
agreement. Annexed to this report is the report required by section
233(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of the
Agreement on income and expenditures of the United States Social
Security program and the number of
individuals affected by the Agreement. The Department of State and
the Social Security Administration have recommended the Agreement and
related documents to me.
I commend the United States-Norwegian Social Security Agreement and
related documents.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 5, 2003.
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