Message to the Congress Transmitting the Finland-United States Social Security Agreement

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 Republic of Finland on Social Security, which consists of two separate instruments -- a principal agreement and an administrative arrangement. The agreement was signed at Helsinki on June 3, 1991.

The United States-Finland agreement is similar in objective to the social security agreements already in force with Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, 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 loss of benefit protection that can occur when workers divide their careers between two countries.

I also transmit for the information of the Congress a report prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, providing explanation of the key points of the agreement, along with a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the provisions of the principal agreement and the related administrative arrangement. In addition, as required by section 433(e)(1) of the Social Security Act, a report on the effect of the agreement on income and expenditures of the U.S. Social Security program and the number of individuals affected by the agreement is also enclosed. I note that the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services have recommended the agreement and related documents to me.

I commend the Agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Finland on Social Security and related documents.

George Bush

The White House,

March 2, 1992.