Title: Improving the Quality of Disability Decisions Act of 2017
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Improving the Quality of Disability Decisions Act of 2017
This bill directs the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct quality reviews of hearing decisions concerning Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits to ensure that administrative law judges are complying with the SSA's regulations.
The SSA must report annually on these quality reviews.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3386 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3386

 To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for 
     quality reviews of benefit decisions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2017

 Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas (for himself and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act to provide for 
     quality reviews of benefit decisions, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving the Quality of Disability 
Decisions Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PRE-EFFECTUATION AND POST-EFFECTUATION QUALITY REVIEWS OF 
              HEARING DISPOSITIONS.

    (a) Amendment to Title II.--Section 205(b) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 405(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4)(A) The Commissioner of Social Security shall conduct pre-
effectuation and post-effectuation quality reviews of hearing 
dispositions with respect to decisions in connection with applications 
for benefits under this title, in a sufficient number to ensure 
compliance with laws, regulations, and other guidance issued by the 
Commissioner of Social Security.
    ``(B) The Commissioner of Social Security shall annually submit to 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate a report that includes--
            ``(i) the total number of cases selected for a quality 
        review as described in subparagraph (A);
            ``(ii) the number of such cases in which a decision is 
        remanded; and
            ``(iii) the number of such cases in which a decision is 
        modified or reversed.''.
    (b) Amendment to Title XVI.--Section 1633 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1383b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f)(1) The Commissioner of Social Security shall conduct pre-
effectuation and post-effectuation quality reviews of hearing 
dispositions with respect to decisions in connection with applications 
for benefits under this title, in a sufficient number to ensure 
compliance with laws, regulations, and other guidance issued by the 
Commissioner of Social Security.
    ``(2) The Commissioner of Social Security shall annually submit to 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate a report that includes--
            ``(A) the total number of cases selected for a quality 
        review as described in paragraph (1);
            ``(B) the number of such cases in which a decision is 
        remanded; and
            ``(C) the number of such cases in which a decision is 
        modified or reversed.''.
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