S. 534 — Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2025

This section amends the Former Presidents Act of 1958 (3 U.S.C. 102 note) to revise compensation for former Presidents and their surviving spouses as follows: (1) For former Presidents, replaces prior annuity and allowance provisions with a $200,000 annual annuity (paid monthly by the Treasury) and a $200,000 annual monetary allowance (subject to appropriations, paid by the General Services Administration); specifies both benefits commence the day after leaving office, terminate on death, and are suspended during federal employment with non-nominal pay; provides cost-of-living adjustments tied to Social Security benefit increases; limits the allowance for any 12-month period by the amount that adjusted gross income plus specified tax-exempt interest exceeds $400,000 (adjusted for cost-of-living), but not below the amount needed for security-related costs as determined by the General Services Administration and Secret Service; and requires disclosure of tax returns or return information to the Treasury Secretary for income calculations (with use limited to that purpose). (2) Increases the surviving spouse monetary allowance to $100,000 per year (from $20,000), subject to a new paragraph (4); eliminates termination of the allowance for District of Columbia government employment; and provides for post-commencement increases.

This section provides a rule of construction stating that nothing in this Act or its amendments affects (1) any provision of law relating to the security or protection of a former President or a family member, or (2) funding under the Former Presidents Act of 1958 or other laws for such security.

This section exempts from this Act and its amendments (1) any individual who is a former President on the date of enactment and (2) the widow or widower of such an individual.