Supplemental Security Income Equality Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 537 To extend the supplemental security income program to Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 28, 2021 Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N (for herself, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. PLASKETT, and Mrs. RADEWAGEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To extend the supplemental security income program to Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supplemental Security 4 Income Equality Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H537.IH H537 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 537 IH SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY IN- 1 COME PROGRAM TO PUERTO RICO, THE 2 UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS, GUAM, AND 3 AMERICAN SAMOA. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Social Security 5 Amendments of 1972 (86 Stat. 1484) is amended by strik- 6 ing subsection (b). 7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 8 (1) DEFINITION OF STATE.—Section 9 1101(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 10 1301(a)(1)) is amended by striking the 5th sentence 11 and inserting the following: ‘‘Such term when used 12 in title XVI includes Puerto Rico, the United States 13 Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.’’. 14 (2) ELIMINATION OF LIMIT ON TOTAL PAY- 15 MENTS TO THE TERRITORIES.—Section 1108 of 16 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended— 17 (A) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘; 18 LIMITATION ON TOTAL PAYMENTS’’; 19 (B) by striking subsection (a); and 20 (C) in subsection (c), by striking para- 21 graphs (2) and (4) and redesignating para- 22 graphs (3) and (5) as paragraphs (2) and (4), 23 respectively. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H537.IH H537 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 537 IH (3) UNITED STATES NATIONALS TREATED THE 1 SAME AS CITIZENS.—Section 1614(a)(1)(B) of such 2 Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(a)(1)(B)) is amended— 3 (A) in clause (i)(I), by inserting ‘‘or na- 4 tional,’’ after ‘‘citizen’’; 5 (B) in clause (i)(II), by adding ‘‘; or’’ at 6 the end; and 7 (C) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘or na- 8 tional’’ after ‘‘citizen’’. 9 (4) TERRITORIES INCLUDED IN GEOGRAPHIC 10 MEANING OF UNITED STATES.—Section 1614(e) of 11 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(e)) is amended by strik- 12 ing ‘‘and the District of Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘, 13 the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United 14 States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American 15 Samoa’’. 16 (c) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Commissioner of So- 17 cial Security may waive or modify any statutory require- 18 ment relating to the provision of benefits under the Sup- 19 plemental Security Income Program under title XVI of the 20 Social Security Act in Puerto Rico, the United States Vir- 21 gin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa, to the extent that 22 the Commissioner deems it necessary in order to adapt 23 the program to the needs of the territory involved. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H537.IH H537 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 537 IH (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend- 1 ments made by this section shall take effect on the 1st 2 day of the 1st Federal fiscal year that begins 1 year or 3 more after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 Feb 16, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H537.IH H537 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS