[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4111 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4111
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to implement various
reforms to the social security disability insurance program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2014
Mr. Graves of Missouri introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to implement various
reforms to the social security disability insurance program, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Disability Insurance Protection and
Fraud Prevention Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF COOPERATIVE DISABILITY INVESTIGATIONS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Social Security
Administration shall increase the number of cooperative disability
investigative units to 54.
(b) Distribution.--The Inspector General shall locate the
cooperative disability investigative units established pursuant to
subsection (a) in such manner as to ensure that such units are
distributed equally among the most densely populated areas of the
Nation.
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR THE DETERMINATION OF
DISABILITY.
(a) In General.--In determining whether an individual is under a
disability for purposes of section 223 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 423), the Commissioner of Social Security--
(1) may not consider an individual as approaching advanced
age (as applicable for purposes of section 404.1563 of title
20, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of
the enactment of this Act), unless the individual has attained
the age of 58;
(2) may not consider an individual as having attained
advanced age (as so applicable) unless the individual has
attained the age of 61; and
(3) may not consider the individual's inability to
communicate in English as a vocational factor (as applicable
for purposes of section 404.1564 of such title).
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall issue
regulations to implement subsection (a).
SEC. 4. COMBINED EFFECT OF IMPAIRMENTS NOT CONSIDERED IN DISABILITY
DETERMINATIONS.
(a) Title II Determinations.--Section 223(d)(2) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423(d)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraph
(B) and redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B).
(b) Title XVI Determinations.--Section 1614(a)(3) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 1382c(a)(3)) is amended by striking subparagraph (G) and
redesignating subsequent subparagraphs accordingly.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 216(i)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
416(i)(1)) is amended by striking ``paragraphs (2)(A),(2)(B),(3),'' and
inserting ``paragraphs (2)(A), (3),''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the day that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 5. MANDATORY FUNDING FOR CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEWS.
(a) In General.--Section 201(g)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 401(g)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``Of the amounts
authorized to be made available'' and all that follows through ``for
fiscal year 2002, $720,000,000.'' and inserting the following: ``There
is hereby appropriated for continuing disability reviews such sums as
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.''
(b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the end of fiscal year
2018, the Commissioner of Social Security shall submit a report to
Congress that includes an assessment of the amount of savings attained
as a result of the amendment made by subsection (a) in the Federal
disability insurance program under title II of the Social Security Act
and the Supplemental Security Income program under title XVI of such
Act.
SEC. 6. DISABILITY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM DESIGN REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall submit to
Congress a report describing the design of a demonstration program that
would meet the specifications in subsection (b), including
recommendations for any legislative changes necessary to implement such
a program.
(b) Goals.--In order to improve the well-being of certain social
security disability insurance applicants while also achieving near-term
program cost neutrality and long-term cost savings, the Commissioner
shall screen such applicants and target those who appear likely to be
determined eligible for benefits but who also have the potential for
significant work activity if provided with a range of services to be
determined by the Commissioner. In exchange for suspending their social
security disability insurance program application, these applicants
would be offered a package of benefits, including targeted vocational
and health interventions, wage subsidies based on how much the
applicants can work and earn, and, if appropriate, an emergency cash
diversion grant.
SEC. 7. STATE DISABILITY REFORM DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall submit to
Congress a report describing the design of a demonstration program that
would meet the specifications in subsection (b), including
recommendations for any legislative changes necessary to implement such
a program.
(b) Goals.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner of Social Security shall
work with the States to determine whether, if appropriate
changes were made in the law, the existing funding streams for
specific populations, such as vocational rehabilitation
funding, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and
workers' compensation, could be modified to be delivered in a
more coordinated manner to improve outcomes and reduce
participation in supplemental security income or social
security disability insurance.
(2) Incentive funding.--States who successfully implemented
such a program shall receive incentive funding to be determined
by the Commissioner and subject to appropriations.
(c) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term
``specific populations'' means populations identified by the
Commissioner of Social Security as likely to receive a lifetime of
supplemental security income or social security disability insurance.
SEC. 8. EMPLOYERS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security shall submit to
Congress a report describing the design of a demonstration program that
would meet the specifications in subsection (b), including
recommendations for any legislative changes necessary to implement such
a program.
(b) Goals.--
(1) In general.--In order to encourage employers to reduce
the incidence of disability among their employees by 20
percent, the Commissioner of Social Security shall create a
voluntary program for employers that would provide such
employers with a tax credit with respect to social security
disability insurance taxes if the employees of such employer do
not file for social security disability insurance.
(2) Baseline.--For each employer who volunteers to
participate in the program, the Commission of Social Security
shall determine a baseline predicted rate of social security
disability insurance enrollment.
(3) Employees tracked for program.--Employees employed on
the date the employer enrolled in the program shall be tracked
for a period of 3 years beginning on the date of enrollment in
the program, whether or not they remain employed by such
employer. If any such employee becomes eligible for social
security disability insurance during such period, the
employer's disability insurance participation rate shall be
affected.
(4) Incentive.--At the end of the period, the employer's
disability insurance participation rate shall be compared to
the baseline, and if the participation rate has fallen by at
least 20 percent, the employer shall receive a social security
disability insurance tax credit of 75 percent of the disability
insurance cost savings during the period.
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