[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1733 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1733

  To require the Commissioner of Social Security and food stamp State 
agencies to take certain actions to ensure that food stamp coupons are 
                  not issued for deceased individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 1998

   Mr. Lugar introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Commissioner of Social Security and food stamp State 
agencies to take certain actions to ensure that food stamp coupons are 
                  not issued for deceased individuals.

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

SECTION 1. NOTIFICATION OF CERTAIN STATE AGENCIES BY COMMISSIONER OF 
              SOCIAL SECURITY OF DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 205(r) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 405(r)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(8)(A) The Commissioner shall establish a cooperative arrangement 
with each State agency that administers the food stamp program 
established under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
    ``(B) Under the arrangement in subparagraph (A), the State agency 
shall provide information to the Commissioner, in such form and manner 
as the Commissioner determines necessary, regarding individuals 
receiving benefits under the food stamp program.
    ``(C) The Commissioner shall compare information received under 
subparagraph (B) with information obtained under paragraph (1) and 
notify the State agency of the individuals who are deceased.
    ``(D) An arrangement under subparagraph (A) shall meet the 
requirements of paragraph (3)(A).''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days, 1 year, and 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Security 
shall submit a report regarding the progress and effectiveness of the 
cooperative arrangements established with State agencies under section 
205(r)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(r)(8)) to--
            (1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
        of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (4) the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and
            (5) the Secretary of the Treasury.
    (c) Amendment of Internal Revenue Code of 1986.--Clause (ii) of 
subparagraph (B) of section 6103(d)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 (relating to the availability and use of death information) is 
amended by inserting ``or, in the case of a food stamp program 
established under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), 
State agency'' after ``agency''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO ENSURE NONISSUANCE OF FOOD STAMP 
              COUPONS FOR DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

    Section 11(e)(20) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
2020(e)(20)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) to provide such information to the 
                Commissioner of Social Security as the Commissioner 
                determines is necessary to enable the Commissioner to 
                use the information provided under the arrangement 
                established under section 205(r)(8) of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(r)(8)) to verify and 
                otherwise ensure that coupons are not issued for 
                deceased individuals;''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect on the 
date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
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