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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