II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1387 

To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to update eligibility for 

the supplemental security income program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 19, 2015 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Ms. WARREN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, and Ms. HIRONO) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to update 

eligibility for the supplemental security income program, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Supplemental Security 

5 Income Restoration Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. UPDATE IN ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL 

7 SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM. 

8 (a) UPDATE IN GENERAL INCOME EXCLUSION.— 

9 Section 1612(b)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 


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1 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘$240’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘$1,344 (increased as described in section 

3 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2016)’’. 

4 (b) UPDATE IN EARNED INCOME EXCLUSION.—Sec5 tion 1612(b)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is 

6 amended by striking ‘‘$780’’ each place it appears and 

7 inserting ‘‘$4,368 (increased as described in section 

8 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2016)’’. 

9 (c) UPDATE IN RESOURCE LIMIT FOR INDIVIDUALS

10 AND COUPLES.—Section 1611(a)(3) of such Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 

12 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘$2,250’’ 

13 and all that follows through the end of the subpara14 graph and inserting ‘‘$15,000 in calendar year 

15 2016, and shall be increased as described in section 

16 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’; and 

17 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘$1,500’’ 

18 and all that follows through the end of the subpara19 graph and inserting ‘‘$10,000 in calendar year 

20 2016, and shall be increased as described in section 

21 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’. 

22 (d) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 1617 of such 

23 Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 

24 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; infla25 tion adjustment’’ after ‘‘benefits’’; and 


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1 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(d) In the case of any calendar year after 2016, each 

3 of the amounts specified in sections 1611(a)(3), 

4 1612(b)(2)(A), and 1612(b)(4) shall be increased by mul5 tiplying each such amount by the quotient (not less than 

6 1) obtained by dividing— 

7 ‘‘(1) the average of the Consumer Price Index 

8 for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers 

9 (CPI–W, as published by the Bureau of Labor Sta10 tistics of the Department of Labor) for the 12- 

11 month period ending with September of the pre12 ceding calendar year, by 

13 ‘‘(2) such average for the 12-month period end14 ing with September 2015.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE FURNISHED IN KIND 

16 NOT INCLUDED AS INCOME. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1612(a)(2) of such Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

19 (1) by inserting ‘‘(other than support or main20 tenance furnished in kind)’’ after ‘‘all other income’’; 

21 and 

22 (2) in subparagraph (A)— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘or kind’’; 


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1 (B) by striking clause (i) and redesig2 nating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and 

3 (ii), respectively; and 

4 (C) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by 

5 striking ‘‘and the provisions of clause (i) shall 

6 not be applicable’’. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

8 (1) Section 1611(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 1382(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and 

10 redesignating paragraphs (7) through (10) as para11 graphs (6) through (9), respectively. 

12 (2) Section 1612(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

14 (A) in subparagraph (F), by inserting 

15 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

16 (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking ‘‘; 

17 and’’ and inserting a period; 

18 (C) by moving subparagraph (G) 2 ems to 

19 the right; and 

20 (D) by striking subparagraph (H). 

21 (3) Section 1621(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1382j(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

23 ‘‘(c) In determining the amount of income of an alien 

24 during the period of 5 years after such alien’s entry into 

25 the United States, support or maintenance furnished in 


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1 cash to the alien by such alien’s sponsor (to the extent 

2 that it reflects income or resources which were taken into 

3 account in determining the amount of income and re4 sources to be deemed to the alien under subsection (a) 

5 or (b) of this section) shall not be considered to be income 

6 of such alien under section 1612(a)(2)(A).’’. 

7 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF PENALTY FOR DISPOSAL OF RE8 SOURCES FOR LESS THAN FAIR MARKET 

9 VALUE. 

10 Section 1613(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(c)) is 

11 amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(c) NOTIFICATION OF MEDICAID POLICY RESTRICT13 ING ELIGIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONALIZED INDIVIDUALS

14 FOR BENEFITS BASED ON DISPOSAL OF RESOURCES FOR

15 LESS THAN FAIR MARKET VALUE.—(1) At the time an 

16 individual (and the individual’s eligible spouse, if any) ap17 plies for benefits under this title, and at the time the eligi18 bility of an individual (and such spouse, if any) for such 

19 benefits is redetermined, the Commissioner of Social Secu20 rity shall— 

21 ‘‘(A) inform such individual of the provisions of 

22 section 1917(c) providing for a period of ineligibility 

23 for benefits under title XIX for individuals who 

24 make certain dispositions of resources for less than 

25 fair market value, and inform such individual that 


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1 information obtained pursuant to subparagraph (B) 

2 will be made available to the State agency admin3 istering a State plan under title XIX (as provided in 

4 paragraph (2)); and 

5 ‘‘(B) obtain from such individual information 

6 which may be used by the State agency in deter7 mining whether or not a period of ineligibility for 

8 such benefits would be required by reason of section 

9 1917(c). 

10 ‘‘(2) The Commissioner of Social Security shall make 

11 the information obtained under paragraph (1)(B) avail12 able, on request, to any State agency administering a 

13 State plan approved under title XIX.’’. 

14 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

15 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

16 on the date that is 6 months after the date of the enact17 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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