Rex Brewer Social Security Disability Fairness and Equity Act of 1998

Summary: Rex Brewer Social Security Disability Fairness and Equity Act of 1998 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to waive the waiting period otherwise required for disability beneficiaries in the case of individuals with terminal illnesses with not more than six months to live. 
Amends SSA titles II and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI): (1) in the case of the OASDI program, to provide for payments to State and local prisons for monthly reports on the identities of inmates whose OASDI benefits cease to become payable as a result of such reports; and (2) in the case of the SSI program, to provide that no amount shall be payable to such an institution with respect to such information if the Commissioner of Social Security has determined, before receiving substantiating information from the institution, that the prisoner is no longer eligible for SSI. 
Transfers from the OASDI trust funds any sums necessary to enable the Commissioner to make such payments. 
Eliminates the SSA title II requirement that confinement stem only from a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. 
Provides for a 50 percent reduction in institution payments under both SSA title II and XVI in cases involving a comparable payment under the other title with respect to the same prisoner. 
Exempts OASDI and SSI matches performed under this Act from computer matching requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rex Brewer Social Security 
Disability Fairness and Equity Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. WAITING PERIOD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFICIARIES 
              INAPPLICABLE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH TERMINAL ILLNESSES.

    (a) In General.--Section 223(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 423(a)(1)) is amended, in clause (ii) of the first sentence--
            (1) by inserting ``(I)'' after ``but only if'', and
            (2) by inserting ``or (II) he has a terminal illness (as 
        defined in subsection (j)),'' after ``under such disability,''.
    (b) Terminal Illness Defined.--Section 223 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
423) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

                    ``Definition of Terminal Illness

    ``(j) 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 six months.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to benefits for which applications are filed on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF PRISONERS UNDER TITLES II AND XVI OF THE SOCIAL 
              SECURITY ACT.

    (a) Implementation of Prohibition Against Payment of Title II 
Benefits to Prisoners.--
            (1) In general.--Section 202(x)(3) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 402(x)(3)) is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(3)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
    ``(B)(i) The Commissioner shall enter into an agreement, with any 
interested State or local institution comprising a jail, prison, penal 
institution, correctional facility, or other institution a purpose of 
which is to confine individuals as described in paragraph (1)(A), under 
which--
            ``(I) the institution shall provide to the Commissioner, on 
        a monthly basis and in a manner specified by the Commissioner, 
        the names, social security account numbers, dates of birth, 
        confinement commencement dates, and, to the extent available to 
        the institution, such other identifying information concerning 
        the individuals confined in the institution as the Commissioner 
        may require for the purpose of carrying out paragraph (1); and
            ``(II) except as provided in clause (ii), the Commissioner 
        shall pay to the institution, with respect to information 
        described in subclause (I) concerning each individual who is 
        confined therein as described in paragraph (1)(A), to whom a 
        benefit under this title is payable for the month preceding the 
        first month of such confinement, and whose benefit under this 
        title ceases to be payable as a result of the application of 
        this subsection, $400 (subject to reduction under clause (iii)) 
        if the institution furnishes the information to the 
        Commissioner within 30 days after the date such individual's 
        confinement in such institution begins, or $200 (subject to 
        reduction under clause (iii)) if the institution furnishes the 
        information after 30 days after such date but within 90 days 
        after such date.
    ``(ii) No amount shall be payable to an institution with respect to 
information concerning an individual under an agreement entered into 
under clause (i) if, prior to the Commissioner's receipt of the 
information, the Commissioner has determined that benefits under this 
title are no longer payable to such individual as a result of the 
application of this subsection.
    ``(iii) The dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(II) shall be 
reduced by 50 percent if the Commissioner is also required to make a 
payment to the institution with respect to the same individual under an 
agreement entered into under section 1611(e)(1)(I).
    ``(iv) There shall be transferred from the Federal Old-Age and 
Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance 
Trust Fund, as appropriate, such sums as may be necessary to enable the 
Commissioner to make payments to institutions required by clause 
(i)(II). Sums so transferred shall be treated as direct spending for 
purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 
1985 and excluded from budget totals in accordance with section 13301 
of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990.
    ``(v) The Commissioner is authorized to provide, on a reimbursable 
basis, information obtained pursuant to agreements entered into under 
clause (i) to any Federal or federally-assisted cash, food, or medical 
assistance program for eligibility purposes.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply to individuals whose period of confinement in an 
        institution commences on or after the first day of the fourth 
        month beginning after the month in which this Act is enacted.
    (b) Elimination of Title II Requirement That Confinement Stem From 
Crime Punishable by Imprisonment for More Than 1 Year.--
            (1) In general.--Section 202(x)(1)(A) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 402(x)(1)(A)) is amended--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``during'' and inserting ``throughout'';
                    (B) in clause (i), by striking ``an offense 
                punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year 
                (regardless of the actual sentence imposed)'' and 
                inserting ``a criminal offense''; and
                    (C) in clause (ii)(I), by striking ``an offense 
                punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year'' and 
                inserting ``a criminal offense''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply to individuals whose period of confinement in an 
        institution commences on or after the first day of the fourth 
        month beginning after the month in which this Act is enacted.
    (c) Conforming Title XVI Amendments.--
            (1) Preclusion of title xvi payment when information 
        furnished by an institution is already known by the 
        commissioner.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)) is amended--
                    (A) in clause (i)(II), by inserting ``except as 
                provided in clause (ii),'' after ``(II)'';
                    (B) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as 
                clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after clause (i) the following new 
                clause:
    ``(ii) No amount shall be payable to an institution with respect to 
information concerning an inmate under an agreement entered into under 
clause (i) if, prior to the Commissioner's receipt of the information, 
the Commissioner has determined that the inmate is no longer an 
eligible individual or eligible spouse for purposes of this title as a 
result of the application of this paragraph.''.
            (2) Fifty percent reduction in title xvi payment in case 
        involving comparable title ii payment.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I) 
        of such Act (as amended by paragraph (1)) is amended further--
                    (A) in clause (i)(II), by inserting ``(subject to 
                reduction under clause (iii))'' after ``$400'' and 
                after ``$200''; and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (ii) the following 
                new clause:
    ``(iii) The dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(II) shall be 
reduced by 50 percent if the Commissioner is also required to make a 
payment to the institution with respect to the same individual under an 
agreement entered into under section 202(x)(3)(B).''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply as if included in the enactment of section 203(a) 
        of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
        Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193).
    (d) Exemption From Computer Matching Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Section 552a(a)(8)(B) of title 5, United 
        States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (vi); 
                and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (vii) the following 
                new clauses:
                            ``(viii) matches performed pursuant to 
                        section 202(x) or 1611(e)(1) of the Social 
                        Security Act; or
                            ``(ix) matches performed pursuant to 
                        section 205(j)(1)(A), 205(j)(5), 
                        1631(a)(2)(A)(ii), 1631(a)(2)(A)(iii), or 
                        1631(a)(2)(E) of the Social Security Act;''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I)(iv) of the 
        Social Security Act (as redesignated by subsection (c)(1)(B)) 
        is amended further by striking ``(I) The provisions'' and all 
        that follows through ``(II) The Commissioner'' and inserting 
        ``The Commissioner''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.