Social Security Disability Amendments Act of 1994

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security 
Disability Amendments Act of 1994''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Disregard deemed income and resources of ineligible spouse when 
                            determining continued eligibility under 
                            section 1619(b).
Sec. 3. Plans for achieving self-support not disapproved within 60 days 
                            to be deemed approved.
Sec. 4. Expansion of plans for achieving self-support to include 
                            housing goals.
Sec. 5. Regulations regarding completion of plans for achieving self-
                            support.
Sec. 6. Treatment of certain grant, scholarship, or fellowship income 
                            as earned income for SSI purposes.
Sec. 7. SSI eligibility for students temporarily abroad.
Sec. 8. Effective date.

SEC. 2. DISREGARD DEEMED INCOME AND RESOURCES OF INELIGIBLE SPOUSE WHEN 
              DETERMINING CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY UNDER SECTION 1619(b).

    Section 1614(f)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1382c(f)(1)) is amended by inserting ``(other than under section 
1619(b))'' after ``benefits''.

SEC. 3. PLANS FOR ACHIEVING SELF-SUPPORT NOT DISAPPROVED WITHIN 60 DAYS 
              TO BE DEEMED APPROVED.

    (a) Amendments to Income Exclusion Rules.--Section 1612(b)(4) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)(A)) is amended in each 
of subparagraphs (A) and (B) by inserting ``and, for purposes of this 
clause, a completed plan for achieving self-support which is not 
disapproved by the Secretary within 60 days after the date of 
submission shall be deemed to be approved by the Secretary until 
subsequently disapproved by the Secretary (with appropriate 
notification to the individual),'' after ``plan,''.
    (b) Amendment to Resource Exclusion Rule.--Section 1613(a)(4) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(a)(4)) is amended by inserting ``, and, for 
purposes of this paragraph, a completed plan for achieving self-support 
which is not disapproved by the Secretary within 60 days after the date 
of submission shall be deemed to be approved by the Secretary until 6 
months after subsequently disapproved by the Secretary (with 
appropriate notification to the individual)'' after ``such plan''.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF PLANS FOR ACHIEVING SELF-SUPPORT TO INCLUDE 
              HOUSING GOALS.

    (a) Income Disregard Rules.--Section 1612(b)(4) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is amended in each of 
subparagraphs (A)(iii) and (B)(iv), by inserting ``, containing a 
career or housing goal, that has been'' before ``approved''.
    (b) Resource Disregard Rules.--Section 1613(a)(4) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1382b(a)(4)) is amended by inserting ``, containing a career or 
housing goal, that has been'' before ``approved''.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS REGARDING COMPLETION OF PLANS FOR ACHIEVING SELF-
              SUPPORT.

    Section 1633 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383b) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) The Secretary shall establish by regulation time limits and 
other criteria--
            ``(1) which are related to an individual's career or 
        housing goal included in a plan for achieving self-support, and
            ``(2) that take into account the difficulty of achieving 
        self-support based on the needs of the individual and the goals 
        of the plan.''.

SEC. 6. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN GRANT, SCHOLARSHIP, OR FELLOWSHIP INCOME 
              AS EARNED INCOME FOR SSI PURPOSES.

    Section 1612(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1382a(a)(1)), as amended by section 309 of this Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (E); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) any grant, scholarship, or fellowship 
                described in section 1612(b)(7) to the extent not 
                excluded from income pursuant to such section; and''.

SEC. 7. SSI ELIGIBILITY FOR STUDENTS TEMPORARILY ABROAD.

    Section 1611(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(f)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: ``The first sentence of 
this subsection shall not apply to any individual who was eligible to 
receive a benefit under this title for the month immediately preceding 
the first month during all of which such individual is outside the 
United States and who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary 
that the individual's absence from the United States will be temporary 
and for the purpose of conducting studies as part of an educational 
program designed to prepare the individual for gainful employment and 
sponsored by a school, college, or university in the United States.''.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect on the 1st day of the 1st calendar month 
that begins 90 or more days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

Summary: Social Security Disability Amendments Act of 1994 - Amends title XVI (SSI) of the Social Security Act to: (1) disregard the deemed income and resources of an ineligible spouse when determining the continued eligibility of the disabled spouse for Medicaid. (2) provide that individual Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS) shall be deemed approved unless disallowed within 60 days by the Social Security Administration. (3) disregard the income andor resources received by a PASS recipient for the purpose of achieving housing or career goals. (4) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations that consider both individual career and housing goals, and the difficulty of achieving self-support. (5) treat certain grant, scholarship, or fellowship income as earned income according to a certain formula. And (6) retain SSI eligibility for students temporarily outside the United States who demonstrate that their absence is to conduct studies as part of an educational program sponsored by an educational institution in the United States and designed to prepare the individual for gainful employment.