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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5970
To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act to direct the Commis-
sioner of Social Security to consider linguistic limitations in disability
determinations, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 25, 2020
Ms. SCANLON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act
to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to consider
linguistic limitations in disability determinations, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Language Equity in
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Social Security Act of 2020’’.
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•HR 5970 IH
SEC. 2. CONSIDERATION OF LINGUISTIC LIMITATIONS IN
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DISABILITY DETERMINATIONS.
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(a) AMENDMENT TO TITLE II.—Section 223(d)(2) of
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the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423(d)(2)) is amend-
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ed—
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(1) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub-
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paragraph (D); and
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(2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(C) In considering an individual’s education
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for purposes of subparagraph (A), the Commissioner
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of Social Security shall specifically take into account
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as an adverse factor any linguistic limitation such
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individual may have (including any lack of facility
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with the English language).’’.
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(b)
AMENDMENT
TO
TITLE
XVI.—Section
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1614(a)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
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1382c(a)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘For purposes of
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the preceding sentence’’ and all that follows through the
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end and inserting ‘‘For purposes of the preceding sentence
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(with respect to any individual)—
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‘‘(i) ‘work which exists in the national economy’
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means work which exists in significant numbers ei-
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ther in the region where such individual lives or in
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several regions of the country; and
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•HR 5970 IH
‘‘(ii) in considering an individual’s education,
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the Commissioner of Social Security shall specifically
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take into account as an adverse factor any linguistic
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limitation such individual may have (including any
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lack of facility with the English language).’’.
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(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
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this section shall apply with respect to determinations of
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disability occurring after the date of enactment of this
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Act.
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Æ
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