Blind Veterans Fairness Act

Blind Veterans Fairness Act - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to disregard state paid annuities for blind veterans and their spouses in determining SSI benefits.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 649 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 649

To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to provide that annuities 
 paid by States to blind veterans shall be disregarded in determining 
                 supplemental security income benefits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2007

Mr. Reynolds (for himself, Mr. Fossella, Mr. Crowley, Mr. McNulty, Mr. 
 Murtha, Mr. Holden, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Delahunt, Mrs. Lowey, 
 Mr. Platts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Rothman, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. 
Higgins, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Carney, Mr. Fattah, 
 Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Sestak, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Arcuri, Mr. 
    Hinchey, Mr. McHugh, and Mr. Walsh of New York) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to provide that annuities 
 paid by States to blind veterans shall be disregarded in determining 
                 supplemental security income benefits.

    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 ``Blind Veterans Fairness Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE ANNUITIES FOR BLIND VETERANS TO BE DISREGARDED IN 
              DETERMINING SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME BENEFITS.

    (a) Income Disregard.--Section 1612(b) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (22);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (23) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(24) any annuity paid by a State to the individual (or 
        such spouse) on the basis of the individual's being a veteran 
        (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) and 
        blind, if a law of such State providing for such an annuity was 
        in effect on the date of the enactment of this paragraph.''.
    (b) Resource Disregard.--Section 1613(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1382b(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (14);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (15) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (15) the following:
            ``(16) for the month of receipt and every month thereafter, 
        any annuity paid by a State to the individual (or such spouse) 
        on the basis of the individual's being a veteran (as defined in 
        section 101 of title 38, United States Code) and blind, if a 
        law of such State providing for such an annuity was in effect 
        on the date of the enactment of this paragraph.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to benefits paid for months beginning after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>