I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4280 

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

the supplemental security income program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 

Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MOORE, Mr. 

ESPAILLAT, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. SIRES, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. COHEN, Ms. SLOTKIN, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. SABLAN, 

Ms. TLAIB, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. LEE of California, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

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 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. UPDATE IN ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL 

2 SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM. 

3 (a) UPDATE IN GENERAL INCOME EXCLUSION.— 

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

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

6 and inserting ‘‘$1,476 (increased as described in section 

7 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2020)’’. 

8 (b) UPDATE IN EARNED INCOME EXCLUSION.—Sec9 tion 1612(b)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is 

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

11 inserting ‘‘$4,788 (increased as described in section 

12 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2020)’’. 

13 (c) UPDATE IN RESOURCE LIMIT FOR INDIVIDUALS

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

15 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 

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

17 and all that follows through the end of the subpara18 graph and inserting ‘‘$20,000 in calendar year 

19 2020, and shall be increased as described in section 

20 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’; and 

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

22 and all that follows through the end of the subpara23 graph and inserting ‘‘$10,000 in calendar year 

24 2020, and shall be increased as described in section 

25 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’. 


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

2 Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 

3 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; infla4 tion adjustment’’ after ‘‘benefits’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘(d) In the case of any calendar year after 2020, each 

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

8 1612(b)(2)(A), and 1612(b)(4) shall be increased by mul9 tiplying each such amount by the quotient (not less than 

10 1) obtained by dividing— 

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

12 for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E, as published by the 

13 Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

14 Labor) for the 12-month period ending with Sep15 tember of the preceding calendar year, by 

16 ‘‘(2) such average for the 12-month period end17 ing with September 2019.’’. 

18 SEC. 3. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE FURNISHED IN KIND 

19 NOT INCLUDED AS INCOME. 

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

21 (42 U.S.C. 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

22 (1) by inserting ‘‘(other than support or main23 tenance furnished in kind)’’ after ‘‘all other income’’; 

24 and 

25 (2) in subparagraph (A)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘or kind’’; 

2 (B) by striking clause (i) and redesig3 nating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and 

4 (ii), respectively; and 

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

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

7 not be applicable’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

10 1382(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and 

11 redesignating paragraphs (7) through (10) as para12 graphs (6) through (9), respectively. 

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

14 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

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

16 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

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

18 and’’ and inserting a period; 

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

20 the right; and 

21 (D) by striking subparagraph (H). 

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

23 1382j(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

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

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


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1 the United States, support or maintenance furnished in 

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

3 that it reflects income or resources which were taken into 

4 account in determining the amount of income and re5 sources to be deemed to the alien under subsection (a) 

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

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

8 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF PENALTY FOR DISPOSAL OF RE9 SOURCES FOR LESS THAN FAIR MARKET 

10 VALUE. 

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

12 amended to read as follows: 

13 ‘‘(c) NOTIFICATION OF MEDICAID POLICY RESTRICT14 ING ELIGIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONALIZED INDIVIDUALS

15 FOR BENEFITS BASED ON DISPOSAL OF RESOURCES FOR

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

17 individual (and the individual’s eligible spouse, if any) ap18 plies for benefits under this title, and at the time the eligi19 bility of an individual (and such spouse, if any) for such 

20 benefits is redetermined, the Commissioner of Social Secu21 rity shall— 

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

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

24 for benefits under title XIX for individuals who 

25 make certain dispositions of resources for less than 


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1 fair market value, and inform such individual that 

2 information obtained pursuant to subparagraph (B) 

3 will be made available to the State agency admin4 istering a State plan under title XIX (as provided in 

5 paragraph (2)); and 

6 ‘‘(B) obtain from such individual information 

7 which may be used by the State agency in deter8 mining whether or not a period of ineligibility for 

9 such benefits would be required by reason of section 

10 1917(c). 

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

12 the information obtained under paragraph (1)(B) avail13 able, on request, to any State agency administering a 

14 State plan approved under title XIX.’’. 

15 SEC. 5. REPEAL OF MARRIAGE PENALTY. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1611(b)(2) of the Social 

17 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(b)(2)) is amended by strik18 ing ‘‘payable at the rate of’’ and all that follows through 

19 the end of the paragraph and inserting ‘‘payable— 

20 ‘‘(A) for calendar years 1974 through 2019, at 

21 the rate of $2,628 (or, if greater, the amount deter22 mined under section 1617); and 

23 ‘‘(B) for calendar year 2020 and any calendar 

24 year thereafter, at twice the rate applicable for such 


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1 calendar year under paragraph (1) for an individual 

2 who does not have an eligible spouse, 

3 reduced by the amount of income, not excluded pursuant 

4 to section 1612(b), of such individual and spouse.’’. 

5 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1617(a)(1) 

6 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(a)(1)) is amended by striking 

7 ‘‘subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(2)(A), (b)(1), and (b)(2)’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘subsections (a)(1)(A) and (a)(2)(A)’’. 

9 SEC. 6. CLARIFYING THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN STATE 

10 TAX CREDITS. 

11 Title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 1382a) is amended— 

13 (1) in section 1612(b)(19), by striking ‘‘and 

14 any payment’’ and all that follows through ‘‘credit)’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘and any refund of State income taxes 

16 made to such individual (or such spouse) by reason 

17 of a State earned income tax credit (as defined by 

18 the Secretary)’’; and 

19 (2) in section 1613(a)(11)— 

20 (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, 

21 and any refund of State income taxes made to 

22 such individual (or such spouse) by reason of a 

23 State child tax credit (as defined by the Sec24 retary)’’ before the semicolon; and 


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1 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and 

2 any payment’’ and all that follows through 

3 ‘‘credit)’’ and inserting ‘‘and any refund of 

4 State income taxes made to such individual (or 

5 such spouse) by reason of a State earned in6 come tax credit (as defined by the Secretary)’’. 

7 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

8 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

9 on the date that is 6 months after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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