I

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 663

To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation

Act of 1996 to provide for an exception to limited eligibility for the

supplemental security income program for permanent resident aliens.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 10, 1997

Mrs. MEEK of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide for an exception

to limited eligibility for the supplemental security income

program for permanent resident aliens.

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 ‘‘Legal Immigrants’

5 Fairness Act of 1997’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following

8 findings:
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1 (1) The Federal Supplemental Security Income

2 (SSI) program provides monthly cash payments to

3 needy persons who are at least 65, blind, or dis4 abled. Persons who receive SSI payments are also el5 igible for medicaid.

6 (2) In the summer of 1996 Congress enacted

7 the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

8 Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–193),

9 whose primary purpose is to allow the States to de10 velop programs to move persons from welfare to

11 work.

12 (3) One provision of that law eliminates supple13 mental security income benefits for most needy legal

14 United States residents who are aged, blind, or dis15 abled.

16 (4) The Congressional Budget Office estimated

17 that such provision will cut about 500,000 needy

18 legal residents from the SSI rolls, thereby saving the

19 Federal Government about $13,000,000,000 in SSI

20 payments through the year 2002 and about

21 $5,000,000,000 in medicaid payments through the

22 year 2002.

23 (5) Such provision will not bring these aged,

24 blind, and disabled persons into the labor force. In25 stead, its principal impact will be to shift the fiscal
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1 responsibility for these needy people from the Fed2 eral Government to State and local governments.

3 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to restore

4 supplemental security income and medicaid to needy per5 manent residents who are aged, blind, or disabled.

6 SEC. 3. EXCEPTION TO LIMITED ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SUP7 PLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM

8 FOR PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 402(a)(2) of the Personal

10 Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

11 of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(2)) is amended by adding after

12 subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:

13 ‘‘(E) SSI FOR PERMANENT RESIDENT

14 ALIENS.—With respect to eligibility for benefits

15 under paragraph (3)(A) (relating to the supple16 mental security income program), paragraph

17 (1) shall not apply to an alien who is lawfully

18 admitted for permanent residence under the

19 Immigration and Nationality Act.’’.

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

21 subsection (a) shall be effective as if included in the enact22 ment of title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work

23 Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

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