I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2187 
To update the supplemental security income program, and to increase 
incentives for working, saving, and pursuing an education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 21, 2003 
Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. STARK, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. 
MCDERMOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To update the supplemental security income program, and 
to increase incentives for working, saving, and pursuing 
an education. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘SSI Modernization Act 
of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. GENERAL INCOME EXCLUSION. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1612(b)(2)(A) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(2)(A)) is amended by 
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striking ‘‘$240’’ and inserting ‘‘$480 (or, if greater, the 
amount determined under section 1617)’’. 
(b) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT.—Section 1617 of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘sub-
section (b)(2)(A) of section 1612,’’ after ‘‘section 
1611,’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘section 
1611’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 1611 and 1612’’. 
SEC. 3. EARNED INCOME EXCLUSION. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1612(b)(4) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is amended by striking 
‘‘$780’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘$1,560 (or, 
if greater, the amount determined under section 1617)’’. 
(b) 
COST-OF-LIVING
ADJUSTMENT.—Section 
1617(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f), as amended 
by section 2(b)(1) of this Act, is amended by striking 
‘‘subsection 
(b)(2)(A)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘subsections 
(b)(2)(A), (b)(4)(A), (b)(4)(B), and (b)(4)(C)’’. 
SEC. 4. RESOURCE LIMITS. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1611(a)(3) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ the last place it ap-
pears; and 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘, and to $4,500 on Janu-
ary 1, 2004’’ before the period; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ the last place it ap-
pears; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, and to $3,000 on Janu-
ary 1, 2004’’ before the period. 
(b) 
COST-OF-LIVING
ADJUSTMENT.—Section 
1617(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f), as amended 
by sections 2(b)(1) and 3(b) of this Act, is amended by 
inserting ‘‘(b)(3)(A), (b)(3)(B),’’ after ‘‘(b)(2)(A),’’. 
SEC. 5. INFREQUENT OR IRREGULAR INCOME EXCLUSION. 
Section 1612(b)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1382a(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘$20’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$40’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘$10’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$20’’. 
SEC. 6. REDETERMINATIONS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 
STUDENTS TURNING 18. 
Section 1614(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1382c(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) If, as of the date an individual attains 18 years 
of age, the individual is regularly attending (as defined 
in regulations) a secondary school or a local school system 
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is maintaining responsibility for the individual through an 
individualized education plan, the individual shall not be 
considered to have attained 18 years of age for purposes 
of paragraphs (3) and (4) until the earlier of— 
‘‘(A) the earliest subsequent date the individual 
ceases to be regularly attending a secondary school 
or participating in such a plan; or 
‘‘(B) the date the individual attains 21 years of 
age.’’. 
SEC. 7. EXCLUSION OF EDUCATIONAL GRANTS. 
(a) INCOME EXCLUSION.—Section 1612(b)(7) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(7)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(7) any amount of any grant, scholarship, or 
fellowship received to pay any cost related to attend-
ing an educational (including technical or vocational 
education) institution, including room and board;’’. 
(b) TIME-LIMITED RESOURCE EXCLUSION.—Section 
1613(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(12); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (13) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (13) the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(14) for the 9-month period beginning after 
the month in which received, any amount of any 
grant, scholarship, or fellowship received to pay any 
cost related to attending an educational (including 
technical or vocational education) institution, includ-
ing room and board.’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply to amounts received on or after the ef-
fective date of this Act. 
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on January 1, 2004. 
Æ 
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