ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019

ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019

This bill eliminates the five-month waiting period for disability benefits under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). Under current law, individuals must wait five months after becoming disabled before their disability insurance benefit payments may begin.

[116th Congress Public Law 250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 134 STAT. 1128]]

Public Law 116-250
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month 
 waiting period for disability insurance benefits under such title for 
    individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. <<NOTE: Dec. 22, 
                           2020 -  [S. 578]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: ALS Disability 
Insurance Access Act of 2019.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1305 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``ALS Disability Insurance Access Act 
of 2019''.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIOD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY 
                    DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR DISABLED 
                    INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS 
                    (ALS).

    (a) In General.--Section 223(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 423(a)(1)) is amended in the matter following subparagraph (E) by 
striking ``or (ii)'' and inserting ``(ii) in the case of an individual 
who has been medically determined to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 
for each month beginning with the first month during all of which the 
individual is under a disability and in which the individual becomes 
entitled to such insurance benefits, or (iii)''.
    (b) <<NOTE: 42 USC 423 note.>>  Effective Date.--The amendment made 
by this section shall apply with respect to applications for disability 
insurance benefits filed after the date of the enactment of this Act.

    Approved December 22, 2020.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 578:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 166 (2020):
            Dec. 2, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 8, considered and passed House.

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