and currently informed with respect to any actions
taken in response to the request.
‘‘(e) APPLICATION FOR TERMINATION OF EXCLU-
SION.—(1) An individual excluded from participation
under this section may apply to the Commissioner, in the
manner specified by the Commissioner in regulations and
at the end of the minimum period of exclusion provided
under subsection (b)(3) and at such other times as the
Commissioner may provide, for termination of the exclu-
sion effected under this section.
‘‘(2) The Commissioner may terminate the exclusion
if the Commissioner determines, on the basis of the con-
duct of the applicant which occurred after the date of the
notice of exclusion or which was unknown to the Commis-
sioner at the time of the exclusion, that—
‘‘(A) there is no basis under subsection (a) for
a continuation of the exclusion, and
‘‘(B) there are reasonable assurances that the
types of actions which formed the basis for the origi-
nal exclusion have not recurred and will not recur.
‘‘(3) The Commissioner shall promptly notify each
State agency employed for the purpose of making disabil-
ity determinations under section 221 or 1633(a) of the
fact and circumstances of each termination of exclusion
made under this subsection.
‘‘(f) AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS OF EXCLUDED AT-
TORNEYS AND PHYSICIANS.—Nothing in this section shall
be construed to have the effect of limiting access by any
applicant or beneficiary under title II or XVI, any State
agency acting under section 221 or 1633(a), or the Com-
missioner of Social Security to records maintained by any
attorney or physician in connection with services provided
to the applicant or beneficiary prior to the exclusion of
such attorney or physician under this section.
‘‘(g) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Any attorney or
physician participating in, or seeking to participate in, a
social security disability program shall inform the Com-
missioner, in such form and manner as the Commissioner
shall prescribe by regulation, whether such attorney or
physician has been convicted of a violation described in
subsection (a).
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section.—
‘‘(1) EXCLUDE.—The term ‘exclude’ from par-
ticipation means—
‘‘(A) in connection with an attorney, to
prohibit from engaging in representation of an
applicant for, or recipient of, benefits as a rep-
resentative payee under section 205(j) or
1631(a)(2)(A)(ii) or otherwise as a representa-
tive in any hearing or other proceeding relating
to entitlement to benefits, and
‘‘(B) in connection with a physician, to
prohibit from providing items or services to an
applicant for, or recipient of, benefits for the
purpose of assisting such applicant or recipient
in demonstrating disability.
‘‘(2) SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PROGRAM.—
The term ‘social security disability program’ means
the program providing for monthly disability insur-
ance benefits under section 223 or monthly benefits
based on the disability of the recipient under section
202 and the program providing for supplemental se-
curity income to individuals based on disability
under title XVI.
‘‘(3) CONVICTED.—An individual is considered
to have been ‘convicted’ of a violation—
‘‘(A) when a judgment of conviction has
been entered against the individual by a Fed-
eral, State, or local court, except if the judg-
ment of conviction has been set aside or ex-
punged;
‘‘(B) when there has been a finding of
guilt against the individual by a Federal, State,
or local court;
‘‘(C) when a plea of guilty or nolo
contendere by the individual has been accepted
by a Federal, State, or local court; or
‘‘(D) when the individual has entered into
participation in a first offender, deferred adju-
dication, or other arrangement or program
where judgment of conviction has been with-
held.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
this section shall apply with respect to violations and con-
victions occurring on or after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 110. ANNUAL REVIEWS BY STATE DISABILITY DETER-
MINATION 
SERVICES 
OF 
PROFESSIONALS
CONDUCTING 
CONSULTATIVE 
EXAMINA-
TIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 221(j) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 421(j)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and
(3), as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), respec-
tively;
(2) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(j)’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(2) The Commissioner shall provide for annual eval-
uations by State disability determination services of the
performance of professionals to whom cases are referred
for purposes of disability determinations by such services.
Such evaluations shall include a thorough analysis of the
completeness of the examinations performed through such
referrals and the extent to which any patterns of abuse
have arisen in the referral processes. The Commissioner
shall ensure that any such pattern of abuse which, in the
course of any such evaluation, is determined by any State
disability determination service to have occurred is
promptly referred by such service to the Inspector General
of the Social Security Administration.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The first annual evaluations
required pursuant to the amendments made by this section
shall be filed not later than December 31, 1999.
SEC. 111. COMPUTER MATCHES WITH MEDICARE AND MED-
ICAID INSTITUTIONALIZATION DATA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1611(e)(1) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)) is further amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(K) For the purpose of carrying out this paragraph,
the Commissioner of Social Security shall conduct periodic
computer matches with data maintained by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services under title XVIII or XIX.
The Secretary shall furnish to the Commissioner, in such
form and manner and under such terms as the Commis-
sioner and the Secretary shall mutually agree, such infor-
mation as the Commissioner may request for this purpose.
Information obtained pursuant to such a match may be
substituted for the physician’s certification otherwise re-
quired under subparagraph (G)(i).’’.
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
1611(e)(1)(G) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(G)) is
amended by striking ‘‘subparagraph (H)’’ and inserting
‘‘subparagraph (H) or (K)’’.
SEC. 112. ACCESS TO INFORMATION HELD BY FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1631(e)(1)(B) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(e)(1)(B)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(B) The’’ and inserting ‘‘(B)(i)
The’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(ii)(I) The Commissioner of Social Security may re-
quire each applicant for, or recipient of, benefits under
this title to provide authorization by the applicant or recip-
ient (or by any other person whose income or resources
are material to the determination of the eligibility of the
applicant or recipient for such benefits) for the Commis-
sioner to obtain (subject to the cost reimbursement re-
quirements of section 1115(a) of the Right to Financial
Privacy Act) from any financial institution (within the
meaning of section 1101(1) of such Act) any financial
record (within the meaning of section 1101(2) of such
Act) held by the institution with respect to the applicant
or recipient (or any such other person) whenever the Com-
missioner determines the record is needed in connection
with a determination with respect to such eligibility or the
amount of such benefits.
‘‘(II) Notwithstanding section 1104(a)(1) of the
Right to Financial Privacy Act, an authorization provided
by an applicant or recipient (or any other person whose
income or resources are material to the determination of
the eligibility of the applicant or recipient) pursuant to
subclause (I) of this clause shall remain effective until the
earliest of—
‘‘(aa) the rendering of a final adverse decision
on the applicant’s application for eligibility for bene-
fits under this title;
‘‘(bb) the cessation of the recipient’s eligibility
for benefits under this title; or
‘‘(cc) the express revocation by the applicant or
recipient (or such other person referred to in sub-
Commissioner may, on that basis, determine that the ap-
plicant or recipient is ineligible for benefits under this
title.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 113. STATE DATA EXCHANGES.
Whenever the Commissioner of Social Security re-
quests information from a State for the purpose of
ascertaining an individual’s eligibility for benefits (or the
correct amount of such benefits) under title II or XVI of
the Social Security Act, the standards of the Commis-
sioner promulgated pursuant to section 1106 of such Act
or any other Federal law for the use, safeguarding, and
disclosure of information are deemed to meet any stand-
ards of the State that would otherwise apply to the disclo-
sure of information by the State to the Commissioner.
SEC. 114. STUDY ON POSSIBLE MEASURES TO IMPROVE
FRAUD PREVENTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCESSING.
(a) STUDY.—As soon as practicable after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Social Se-
curity, in consultation with the Inspector General of the
Social Security Administration and the Attorney General,
shall conduct a study of possible measures to improve—
(1) prevention of fraud on the part of individ-
uals entitled to disability benefits under section 223
of the Social Security Act or benefits under section
202 of such Act based on the beneficiary’s disability,
individuals eligible for supplemental security income
benefits under title XVI of such Act, and applicants
for any such benefits; and
(2) timely processing of reported income
changes by individuals receiving such benefits.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall re-
port in writing to the Committee on Ways and Means of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Fi-
nance of the Senate the results of the Commissioner’s
study under subsection (a). Such report shall contain such
recommendations 
for 
legislative 
and 
administrative
changes as the Commissioner considers appropriate.
SEC. 115. ANNUAL REPORT ON AMOUNTS NECESSARY TO
COMBAT FRAUD.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 704(b)(1) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 904(b)(1)) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(b)(1)’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph:
‘‘(B) The Commissioner shall include in the annual
budget prepared pursuant to subparagraph (A) an
itemization of the amount of funds required by the Social
Security Administration for the fiscal year covered by the
budget to support efforts to combat fraud committed by
applicants and beneficiaries.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply with respect to annual budgets pre-
pared for fiscal years after fiscal year 1999.
TITLE 
II—BENEFITS 
FOR
PHILIPPINO 
VETERANS 
OF
WORLD WAR II
SEC. 201. PROVISION OF REDUCED SSI BENEFIT TO CER-
TAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDED SERVICE
TO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED
STATES IN THE PHILIPPINES DURING WORLD
WAR II AFTER THEY MOVE BACK TO THE
PHILIPPINES.
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
sections
1611(b), 1611(f)(1), and 1614(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Social
Security Act—
(1) the eligibility of a qualified individual for
benefits under the supplemental security income pro-
gram under title XVI of such Act shall not termi-
nate by reason of a change in the place of residence
of the individual to the Philippines; and
(2) the benefits payable to the individual under
such program shall be reduced by 50 percent for so
long as the place of residence of the individual is in
the Philippines.
(b) QUALIFIED
INDIVIDUAL
DEFINED.—In sub-
section (a), the term ‘‘qualified individual’’ means an indi-
vidual who—
(1) as of the date of the enactment of this Act,
is eligible for benefits under the supplemental secu-
rity income program under title XVI of the Social
Security Act;
(2) as of January 1, 1990, was eligible for such
benefits; and
(3) before August 15, 1945, served in the orga-
nized military forces of the Government of the Com-
monwealth of the Philippines while such forces were
in the service of the Armed Forces of the United
States pursuant to the military order of the Presi-
dent dated July 26, 1941, including among such
military forces organized guerrilla forces under com-
manders appointed, designated, or subsequently rec-
ognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pa-
cific Area, or other competent military authority in
the Army of the United States.
Æ