1 So in original. Probably should be “percentage”.
rate computed in accordance with the preceding steps to the maximum contribution limit computed under paragraph (20), if such rate is higher than such limit. The rate computed in accordance with the preceding steps, after any reduction under this clause, is the contribution rate.
2 See References in Text note below.
and
Editorial Notes
References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act June 25, 1938, ch. 680, 52 Stat. 1094, which enacted this chapter and amended sections 503 and 1104 and former section 1107 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 367 of this title and Tables.

Section 516(span) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance and Retirement Improvement Act of 1988, referred to in subsec. (a)(8)(A)(ii), probably means section 7106(span) of Puspan. L. 100–647, title VII, Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3773, which is set out as a note under section 3321 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

The Railroad Retirement Tax Act, referred to in subsec. (k), is act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, §§ 3201, 3202, 3211, 3212, 3221, and 3231 to 3233, 68A Stat. 431, which is classified generally to chapter 22 (§ 3201 et seq.) of Title 26. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 3233 of Title 26 and Tables.

Amendments

1990—Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(vi). Puspan. L. 101–322 inserted “the National Railroad Passenger Corporation and” after “the contribution of”.

1988—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(a), added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which consisted of two undesignated pars.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(span), amended subsec. (span) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (span) read as follows: “Each employee representative shall pay a contribution with respect to so much of the compensation paid to him for services performed as an employee representative during any month as is not, for any such calendar month, in excess of $600, at the rate applicable to employers in accordance with subsection (a) of this section. The compensation of an employee representative and the contribution with respect thereto shall be determined in the same manner and with the same effect as if the employee organization by which such employee representative is employed were an employer as defined in this chapter.”

Subsecs. (c) to (g). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(d), added subsecs. (c) to (e) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) to (g) as (f) to (j), respectively.

Subsec. (h). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(d)(1), redesignated former subsec. (e) as (h). Former subsec. (h) redesignated (k).

Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(c), inserted at end “The remedies available under the first sentence of this subsection for an employer or employee representative who contests the amount of contributions payable by him shall also apply with respect to a contention that the contribution rate determined by the Board under subsection (a) or (span) to be applicable to such employer or employee representative is inaccurate or otherwise improper.”

Subsec. (i). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7103(a), substituted “0.65” for “0.5”.

Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(d)(1), redesignated former subsec. (f) as (i).

Subsecs. (j), (k). Puspan. L. 100–647, § 7102(d)(1), redesignated former subsecs. (g) and (h) as (j) and (k), respectively.

1983—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 98–79, § 503(a)(1), amended provisions preceding table generally. Prior to amendment, such provisions read as follows: “Every employer shall pay a contribution, with respect to having employees in his service, equal to the percentage determined as set forth below of so much of the compensation as is not in excess of $300 for any calendar month paid by him to any employee for services rendered to him after June 30, 1939, and before July 1, 1954, and is not in excess of $350 for any calendar month paid by him to any employee for services rendered to him after June 30, 1954, and before June 1, 1959, and is not in excess of $400 for any calendar month paid by him to any employee for services rendered to him after May 31, 1959: Provided, however, That if compensation is paid to an employee by more than one employer with respect to any such calendar month, the contributions required by this subsection shall apply to not more than $300 for any month before July 1, 1954, and to not more than $350 for any month after June 30, 1954, and before June 1, 1959, and to not more than $400 for any month after May 31, 1959, of the aggregate compensation paid to said employee by all said employers with respect to such calendar month, and each employer other than a subordinate unit of a national railway-labor-organization employer shall be liable for that proportion of the contribution with respect to such compensation paid by all such employers which the compensation paid by him after December 31, 1946, to the employee for services during any calendar month after 1946 bears to the total compensation paid by all such employers after December 31, 1946, to such employee for services rendered during such month; and in the event that the compensation so paid by such employers to the employee for services rendered during such month is less than $300 if such month is before July 1, 1954, or less than $350 if such month is after June 30, 1954, and before June 1, 1959, or less than $400 if such month is after May 31, 1959, each subordinate unit of a national railway-labor-organization employer shall be liable for such proportion of any additional contribution as the compensation paid by such employer after December 31, 1946, to such employee for services rendered during such month bears to the total compensation paid by all such employers after December 31, 1946, to such employee for services rendered during such month:

“1. With respect to compensation paid prior to January 1, 1948, the rate shall be 3 per centum;

“2. With respect to compensation paid after the month in which this chapter was amended in 1959, the rate shall be as follows:”.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 98–76, § 503(a)(2), struck out “after December 1975” after “during any month”, and substituted “$600” for “$400”.

1981—Subsec. (f). Puspan. L. 97–35 substituted “equals 0.5 per centum” for “equals 0.25 per centum”.

1975—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 94–92, § 1(g), substituted table reading:

“$300,000,000 or more

0.5

$200,000,000 or more but less than $300,000,000

4.0

$100,000,000 or more but less than $200,000,000

5.5

$50,000,000 or more but less than $100,000,000

7.0

Less than $50,000,000

8.0”

for prior provisions reading:

“$450,000,000 or more

$400,000,000 or more but less than $450,000,000

2

$350,000,000 or more but less than $400,000,000

$300,000,000 or more but less than $350,000,000

3

Less than $300,000,000

4”

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 94–92, § 1(h), substituted “Each employee representative shall pay a contribution with respect to so much of the compensation paid to him for services performed as an employee representative during any month after December 1975 as is not, for any such calendar month, in excess of $400, at the rate applicable to employers in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.” for “Each employee representative shall pay, with respect to his income, a contribution equal to 4 per centum of so much of the compensation of such employee representative as is not in excess of $300 for any calendar month, paid to him for services performed as an employee representative after June 30, 1939, and before July 1, 1954, and as is not in excess of $350 paid to him for services rendered as an employee representative in any calendar month after June 30, 1954, and before June 1, 1959, and as is not in excess of $400 paid to him for services rendered as an employee representative in any calendar month after May 31, 1959.”

1966—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 89–700, § 301(i), (ii), substituted “before June 1, 1959” for “before the calendar month next following the month in which this Act was amended in 1959”, and “after May 31, 1959” for “after the month in which this Act was so amended”.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 89–700, §§ 204(a), 301(i), (ii), increased contribution rate from 3¾ per centum to 4 per centum, and substituted “before June 1, 1959” for “before the calendar month next following the month in which this Act was amended in 1959”, and “after May 31, 1959” for “after the month in which this Act was so amended”.

Subsec. (h). Puspan. L. 89–700, § 204(span), substituted “the provisions of the Railroad Retirement Tax Act” for “section 1800 or 2700 of title 26, and the provisions of section 3661 of title 26”.

1963—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 88–133, § 303(a), increased contribution rate in table from 3¾ to 4 percent when balance to credit of railroad unemployment insurance account as of close of business on Sept. 30 of any year is less than $300,000,000.

Subsec. (f). Puspan. L. 88–133, § 304, increased amount of contributions to be deposited to credit of fund from 0.2 per centum to 0.25 per centum of total compensation on which such contributions are based.

1959—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 86–28, § 306, increased earnings base from $350 to $400 per month for months after May 1959 for purposes of unemployment insurance contributions, and contribution rates with respect to compensation paid after May 1959 by 1 percent for each of the categories over $300,000,000, by 1¼ percent when the balance was $250,000,000 or more but less than $300,000,000, and by ¾ of 1 percent where the balance was less than $250,000,000.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 86–28, § 307, increased contribution rate from 3 to 3¾ per centum and maximum amount of compensation for which contribution is payable from $350 to $400 for services rendered in any calendar month after May 1959.

1958—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 85–927 inserted provision deeming balance to credit of fund a part of balance to credit of account.

1954—Subsecs. (a), (span). Act Aug. 31, 1954, increased earnings base from $300 to $350 per month after June 30, 1954 for purposes of unemployment insurance contributions.

1948—Subsec. (a). Act June 23, 1948, §§ 4, 5(a), substituted for flat 3 percent contribution rate a sliding scale under which tax rate is automatically adjusted in accordance with amount of reserves in unemployment insurance account as of close of business on Sept. 30 of each year.

Subsec. (f). Act June 23, 1948, § 6, changed rates of credits to account and fund.

1946—Subsec. (a). Act July 31, 1946, § 318(a), changed basis of contributions from compensation payable during a month to compensation paid during the month and inserted provisions relating to proration of contributions where one of the employers is a railway labor organization.

Subsec. (h). Act July 31, 1946, § 318(span), substituted references to sections of the Internal Revenue Code for references to the sections of the Internal Revenue Acts of 1926 and 1934 from which they were derived.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Puspan. L. 101–322, § 8(span), July 6, 1990, 104 Stat. 297, provided that:

“The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall be effective as of January 1, 1989.”

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Puspan. L. 100–647, title VII, § 7102(e), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3770, provided that:

“The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect upon the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1988].”

Puspan. L. 100–647, title VII, § 7103(c), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3770, provided that:

“The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 360 and 361 of this title] shall apply with respect to compensation paid in months beginning after September 30, 1988.”

Effective Date of 1983 Amendment

Amendment by Puspan. L. 98–76 applicable to compensation paid for services rendered after Dec. 31, 1983, see section 503(c) of Puspan. L. 98–76, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Puspan. L. 97–35 effective Oct. 1, 1981, and applicable only with respect to annuities awarded on or after that date, see section 1129 of Puspan. L. 97–35, set out as a note under section 231 of this title.

Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Amendment by Puspan. L. 94–92 effective with respect to compensation paid for services rendered after Dec. 31, 1975, see section 2 of Puspan. L. 94–92, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Effective Date of 1963 Amendment

Puspan. L. 88–133, title III, § 303(a), Oct. 5, 1963, 77 Stat. 222, provided that the amendment made by section 303(a) is effective with respect to compensation paid after Dec. 31, 1963.

Puspan. L. 88–133, title III, § 304, Oct. 5, 1963, 77 Stat. 223, provided that the amendment made by section 304 is effective with respect to contributions collected by the Railroad Retirement Board after Dec. 31, 1961.

Effective Date of 1959 Amendment

Amendment by sections 306(4), (5) and 307(1) of Puspan. L. 86–28 effective first day of calendar month next following May 1959, and applicable only with respect to compensation paid for services rendered in calendar months after May 1959, see section 309 of Puspan. L. 86–28, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Effective Date of 1958 Amendment

Amendment by Puspan. L. 85–927 effective Sept. 6, 1958, except as otherwise indicated, see section 207(c) of Puspan. L. 85–927, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Effective Date of 1954 Amendment

Amendment by act Aug. 31, 1954, effective July 1, 1954, see section 401 of act Aug. 31, 1954, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Effective Date of 1946 Amendment

Amendment by act July 31, 1946, effective Jan. 1, 1947, see section 402 of act July 31, 1946.

Adjustment or Refund of Excessive Contributions

Act June 23, 1948, ch. 608, § 5(span), 62 Stat. 578, provided that:

“Contributions paid under subsection (a) of section 8 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as amended [subsec. (a) of this section], prior to the enactment of the foregoing amendment thereof [June 23, 1948] which are in excess of those required by said subsection as so amended shall be subject to adjustment or refund in accordance with the provisions of subsections (d) and (e) of said section 8 [subsecs. (d) and (e) of this section].”