II

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1733

To require the Commissioner of Social Security and food stamp State agencies

to take certain actions to ensure that food stamp coupons are not

issued for deceased individuals.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 10, 1998

Mr. LUGAR introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To require the Commissioner of Social Security and food

stamp State agencies to take certain actions to ensure

that food stamp coupons are not issued for deceased

individuals.

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

3 SECTION 1. NOTIFICATION OF CERTAIN STATE AGENCIES

4 BY COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY OF

5 DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 205(r) of the Social Secu7 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 405(r)) is amended by adding at the

8 end the following:
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1 ‘‘(8)(A) The Commissioner shall establish a coopera2 tive arrangement with each State agency that administers

3 the food stamp program established under the Food

4 Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).

5 ‘‘(B) Under the arrangement in subparagraph (A),

6 the State agency shall provide information to the Commis7 sioner, in such form and manner as the Commissioner de8 termines necessary, regarding individuals receiving bene9 fits under the food stamp program.

10 ‘‘(C) The Commissioner shall compare information

11 received under subparagraph (B) with information ob12 tained under paragraph (1) and notify the State agency

13 of the individuals who are deceased.

14 ‘‘(D) An arrangement under subparagraph (A) shall

15 meet the requirements of paragraph (3)(A).’’.

16 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days, 1 year, and

17 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the

18 Commissioner of Social Security shall submit a report re19 garding the progress and effectiveness of the cooperative

20 arrangements established with State agencies under sec21 tion 205(r)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

22 405(r)(8)) to—

23 (1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House

24 of Representatives;
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1 (2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,

2 and Forestry of the Senate;

3 (3) the Committee on Ways and Means of the

4 House of Representatives;

5 (4) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;

6 and

7 (5) the Secretary of the Treasury.

8 (c) AMENDMENT OF INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF

9 1986.—Clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) of section

10 6103(d)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating

11 to the availability and use of death information) is amend12 ed by inserting ‘‘or, in the case of a food stamp program

13 established under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.

14 2011 et seq.), State agency’’ after ‘‘agency’’.

15 SEC. 2. PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO ENSURE

16 NONISSUANCE OF FOOD STAMP COUPONS

17 FOR DECEASED INDIVIDUALS.

18 Section 11(e)(20) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7

19 U.S.C. 2020(e)(20)) is amended—

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

21 the end;

22 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period

23 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

24 (3) by adding at the end the following:
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1 ‘‘(C) to provide such information to the

2 Commissioner of Social Security as the Com3 missioner determines is necessary to enable the

4 Commissioner to use the information provided

5 under the arrangement established under sec6 tion 205(r)(8) of the Social Security Act (42

7 U.S.C. 405(r)(8)) to verify and otherwise en8 sure that coupons are not issued for deceased

9 individuals;’’.

10 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

11 This Act and the amendments made by this Act take

12 effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enact13 ment of this Act.

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