[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3899 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3899

   To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that the 
 waiting period for disability benefits shall not be applicable in the 
    case of a disabled individual suffering from a terminal illness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 1996

 Mr. Lipinski 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 provide that the 
 waiting period for disability benefits shall not be applicable in the 
    case of a disabled individual suffering from a terminal illness.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXCEPTION FROM WAITING PERIOD FOR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS 
              SUFFERING FROM TERMINAL ILLNESS.

    (a) In General.--The first sentence of section 223(a)(1) of the 
Social Security Act is amended, in clause (ii) thereof--
            (1) by inserting ``(I)'' immediately after ``but only if'', 
        and
            (2) by inserting ``or (II) he has a terminal illness (as 
        defined in subsection (e)),'' immediately after ``the first 
        month in which he is under such disability,''.
    (b) Definition of Terminal Illness.--Section 223 of such Act is 
further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsection:

                    ``Definition of Terminal Illness

    ``(e) 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 12 months.''.

SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
benefits for months ending before, on, or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act with respect to which a waiting period (as 
defined in section 223(c)(2) of the Social Security Act) ending after 
such date would otherwise apply.
                                 <all>