I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 947 

To extend the supplemental security income program to Puerto Rico, the 

United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2019 

Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, Mrs. 

RADEWAGEN, Mr. SOTO, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr. SABLAN, and Mr. SAN

NICOLAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To extend the supplemental security income program to 

Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, 

and American Samoa, 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 Equality Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY IN2 COME PROGRAM TO PUERTO RICO, THE 

3 UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS, GUAM, AND 

4 AMERICAN SAMOA. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Social Security 

6 Amendments of 1972 (86 Stat. 1484) is amended by strik7 ing subsection (b). 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

9 (1) DEFINITION OF STATE.—Section 

10 1101(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 1301(a)(1)) is amended by striking the 5th sentence 

12 and inserting the following: ‘‘Such term when used 

13 in title XVI includes Puerto Rico, the United States 

14 Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.’’. 

15 (2) ELIMINATION OF LIMIT ON TOTAL PAY16 MENTS TO THE TERRITORIES.—Section 1108 of 

17 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended— 

18 (A) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘; 

19 LIMITATION ON TOTAL PAYMENTS’’; 

20 (B) by striking subsection (a); and 

21 (C) in subsection (c), by striking para22 graphs (2) and (4) and redesignating para23 graphs (3) and (5) as paragraphs (2) and (4), 

24 respectively. 


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1 (3) UNITED STATES NATIONALS TREATED THE

2 SAME AS CITIZENS.—Section 1614(a)(1)(B) of such 

3 Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(a)(1)(B)) is amended— 

4 (A) in clause (i)(I), by inserting ‘‘or na5 tional,’’ after ‘‘citizen’’; 

6 (B) in clause (i)(II), by adding ‘‘; or’’ at 

7 the end; and 

8 (C) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘or na9 tional’’ after ‘‘citizen’’. 

10 (4) TERRITORIES INCLUDED IN GEOGRAPHIC

11 MEANING OF UNITED STATES.—Section 1614(e) of 

12 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(e)) is amended by strik13 ing ‘‘and the District of Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘, 

14 the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United 

15 States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American 

16 Samoa’’. 

17 (c) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Commissioner of So18 cial Security may waive or modify any statutory require19 ment relating to the provision of benefits under the Sup20 plemental Security Income Program under title XVI of the 

21 Social Security Act in Puerto Rico, the United States Vir22 gin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa, to the extent that 

23 the Commissioner deems it necessary in order to adapt 

24 the program to the needs of the territory involved. 


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1 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend2 ments made by this section shall take effect on the 1st 

3 day of the 1st Federal fiscal year that begins 1 year or 

4 more after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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