Terminal Disability Fairness and Equity Act of 1999

Terminal Disability Fairness and Equity Act of 1999 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to waive the waiting period otherwise required for social security disability beneficiaries suffering from a medically determined terminal illness with not more than six months to live.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1107 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1107

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to waive the waiting 
 period otherwise required for disability beneficiaries in the case of 
 individuals suffering from terminal illnesses with not more than six 
                            months to live.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 1999

 Mr. Watkins 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 waive the waiting 
 period otherwise required for disability beneficiaries in the case of 
 individuals suffering from terminal illnesses with not more than six 
                            months to live.

    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 ``Terminal Disability Fairness and 
Equity Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. WAITING PERIOD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFICIARIES 
              INAPPLICABLE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH TERMINAL ILLNESSES.

    (a) In General.--Section 223(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 423(a)(1)) is amended, in clause (ii) of the first sentence--
            (1) by inserting ``(I)'' after ``but only if'', and
            (2) by inserting ``or (II) he has a terminal illness (as 
        defined in subsection (j)),'' after ``under such disability,''.
    (b) Terminal Illness Defined.--Section 223 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
423) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

                    ``Definition of Terminal Illness

    ``(j) As used in this section, the term `terminal illness' means, 
in the case of any individual, a medically determinable physical 
impairment which is expected to result in the death of such individual 
within the next six months.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to benefits for which applications are filed on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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