[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BURNS:
  S. 1199. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to 
shorten the waiting period for social security disability benefits for 
individuals with mesothelioma; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to introduce 
legislation that would significantly reduce the Social Security 
Disability payment waiting period for people diagnosed with the fatal 
cancer of mesothelioma.
  Seventy to eighty percent of all documented cases of mesothelioma 
share the common denominator of a history of asbestos. While symptoms 
of mesothelioma can remain latent over many decades, this rare cancer 
violently attacks its victims, and drastically reduce their life 
expectancy.
  The Social Security Administration currently has a mandatory five-
month ``waiting period'' for all people applying for disability. The 
victims of mesothelioma simply cannot wait 5 months for their 
disability payments to begin. This bill will significantly reduce the 
waiting period from 5 months to 30 days for victims of mesothelioma.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this measure and join me in 
ensuring these victims get their payments in a timely fashion.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1199

       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 ``Prompt Disability Payment to 
     Mesothelioma Victims Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Mesothelioma is a quickly advancing form of cancer.
       (2) Most cases of mesothelioma arise from exposure to 
     asbestos fibers.
       (3) The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2002, 
     approximately 2,000 new mesothelioma diagnoses were made in 
     the United States.

     SEC. 3. SHORTENED WAITING PERIOD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY 
                   DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH 
                   MESOTHELIOMA.

       (a) In General.--Section 223(c)(2) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. (c)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``(or, in the case of an individual with mesothelioma, 30 
     days)'' after ``months''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (B)--
       (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``(or, in the case of an 
     individual with mesothelioma, the thirteenth month)'' after 
     ``seventeenth month''; and
       (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``(or, in the case of an 
     individual with mesothelioma, such thirteenth month)'' after 
     ``such seventeenth month''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     apply to applications for disability benefits filed or 
     pending on or after the date of enactment of this Act and to 
     any individuals with filed applications for such benefits as 
     of that date who are within a waiting period on such date.

                                 ______