I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1664

To provide for demonstration projects to test whether enrollment in the

supplemental security income program can be significantly increased by

offering nonprofit organizations financial incentives to engage in outreach.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 17, 1995

Mr. STARK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Ways and Means

A BILL

To provide for demonstration projects to test whether enrollment in the supplemental security income program can

be significantly increased by offering nonprofit organizations financial incentives to engage in outreach.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO TEST WHETH2 ER SSI ENROLLMENT CAN BE INCREASED BY

3 OFFERING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FI4 NANCIAL INCENTIVES TO ENGAGE IN OUT5 REACH.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31,

7 1996, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall

8 enter into two one-year contracts to test whether enroll9 ment in the supplemental security income program under

10 title XVI of the Social Security Act can be significantly

11 increased by offering private organizations financial incen12 tives to engage in outreach.

13 (b) TERMS OF CONTRACTS.—Each contract entered

14 into under this section shall obligate—

15 (1) a nonprofit organization to inform individ16 uals potentially eligible for supplemental security in17 come benefits of such potential eligibility, and to en18 courage such individuals to seek such benefits to as19 sist such individuals through the application process;

20 and

21 (2) the Secretary to pay the nonprofit organiza22 tion a sum certain for each individual who—

23 (A) before being contacted by the organiza24 tion, had not received supplemental security in25 come program under title XVI of the Social Se26 curity Act; and
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1 (B) after being so contacted, receives such

2 benefits during the term of the contract.

3 (c) LOCATION OF PROJECTS.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—One demonstration project

5 under this section shall be conducted in an urban

6 area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D) of the So7 cial Security Act) with a high rate of poverty, and

8 one demonstration project under this section shall be

9 conducted in a rural area (as defined in such sec10 tion) with a high rate of poverty.

11 (2) HIGH RATE OF POVERTY DEFINED.—As

12 used in paragraph (1), the term ‘‘high rate of pov13 erty’’ means, with respect to an area, that the pov14 erty rate of the area for the most recent month for

15 which such data is available is at least 150 percent

16 of the poverty rate for such period for the United

17 States as a whole.

18 (d) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Not later than

19 March 31, 1998, the Secretary of Health and Human

20 Services shall submit to the Congress a report on the re21 sults of the demonstration projects conducted under this

22 section, including—

23 (1) the per capita cost of enrolling individuals

24 in the supplemental security income program under
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1 title XVI of the Social Security Act through the

2 projects as compared to other outreach methods; and

3 (2) the percentage increase in enrollment of

4 residents of the areas in which the projects are con5 ducted in the supplemental security income program

6 under title XVI of the Social Security Act due to the

7 projects as compared to the percentage increase in

8 enrollment in such program due to other outreach

9 methods.

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