I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2187 

To update the supplemental security income program, and to increase 

incentives for working, saving, and pursuing an education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2003 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. STARK, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. 

MCDERMOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To update the supplemental security income program, and 

to increase incentives for working, saving, and pursuing 

an education. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘SSI Modernization Act 

5 of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GENERAL INCOME EXCLUSION. 

7 (a) INCREASE.—Section 1612(b)(2)(A) of the Social 

8 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(2)(A)) is amended by 

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1 striking ‘‘$240’’ and inserting ‘‘$480 (or, if greater, the 

2 amount determined under section 1617)’’. 

3 (b) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT.—Section 1617 of 

4 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘sub6 section (b)(2)(A) of section 1612,’’ after ‘‘section 

7 1611,’’; and 

8 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘section 

9 1611’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 1611 and 1612’’. 

10 SEC. 3. EARNED INCOME EXCLUSION. 

11 (a) INCREASE.—Section 1612(b)(4) of the Social Se12 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is amended by striking 

13 ‘‘$780’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘$1,560 (or, 

14 if greater, the amount determined under section 1617)’’. 

15 (b) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT.—Section 

16 1617(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f), as amended 

17 by section 2(b)(1) of this Act, is amended by striking 

18 ‘‘subsection (b)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections 

19 (b)(2)(A), (b)(4)(A), (b)(4)(B), and (b)(4)(C)’’. 

20 SEC. 4. RESOURCE LIMITS. 

21 (a) INCREASE.—Section 1611(a)(3) of the Social Se22 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 

23 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ the last place it ap25 pears; and 

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1 (B) by inserting ‘‘, and to $4,500 on Janu2 ary 1, 2004’’ before the period; and 

3 (2) in subparagraph (B)— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ the last place it ap5 pears; and 

6 (B) by inserting ‘‘, and to $3,000 on Janu7 ary 1, 2004’’ before the period. 

8 (b) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT.—Section 

9 1617(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f), as amended 

10 by sections 2(b)(1) and 3(b) of this Act, is amended by 

11 inserting ‘‘(b)(3)(A), (b)(3)(B),’’ after ‘‘(b)(2)(A),’’. 

12 SEC. 5. INFREQUENT OR IRREGULAR INCOME EXCLUSION. 

13 Section 1612(b)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 

14 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(3)) is amended— 

15 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘$20’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘$40’’; and 

17 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘$10’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘$20’’. 

19 SEC. 6. REDETERMINATIONS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 

20 STUDENTS TURNING 18. 

21 Section 1614(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1382c(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(5) If, as of the date an individual attains 18 years 

24 of age, the individual is regularly attending (as defined 

25 in regulations) a secondary school or a local school system 

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1 is maintaining responsibility for the individual through an 

2 individualized education plan, the individual shall not be 

3 considered to have attained 18 years of age for purposes 

4 of paragraphs (3) and (4) until the earlier of— 

5 ‘‘(A) the earliest subsequent date the individual 

6 ceases to be regularly attending a secondary school 

7 or participating in such a plan; or 

8 ‘‘(B) the date the individual attains 21 years of 

9 age.’’. 

10 SEC. 7. EXCLUSION OF EDUCATIONAL GRANTS. 

11 (a) INCOME EXCLUSION.—Section 1612(b)(7) of the 

12 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(7)) is amended 

13 to read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(7) any amount of any grant, scholarship, or 

15 fellowship received to pay any cost related to attend16 ing an educational (including technical or vocational 

17 education) institution, including room and board;’’. 

18 (b) TIME-LIMITED RESOURCE EXCLUSION.—Section 

19 1613(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(a)) is amended— 

20 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

21 (12); 

22 (2) by striking the period at the end of para23 graph (13) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

24 (3) by inserting after paragraph (13) the fol25 lowing: 

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1 ‘‘(14) for the 9-month period beginning after 

2 the month in which received, any amount of any 

3 grant, scholarship, or fellowship received to pay any 

4 cost related to attending an educational (including 

5 technical or vocational education) institution, includ6 ing room and board.’’. 

7 (c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 

8 section shall apply to amounts received on or after the ef9 fective date of this Act. 

10 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

11 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

12 on January 1, 2004. 

Æ 

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