ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-379
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2017-02-15
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Disability assistance

Neurological disorders
Latest action: action_date: 2017-02-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-02-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2017</b></p> <p>This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease,&nbsp;that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). Under current law, individuals&nbsp;must wait five months after becoming disabled before their disability insurance benefit payments can begin. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 379 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 15, 2017 Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Cotton , Mr. Nelson , and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five month waiting period for disability insurance benefits under such title for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2017 . 2. Elimination of waiting period for social security disability insurance benefits for disabled individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (a) In general Section 223(a)(1) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 423(a)(1) ) is amended in the matter following subparagraph (E) by striking or (ii) and inserting (ii) in the case of an individual who has been medically determined to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for each month beginning with the first month during all of which the individual is under a disability and in which the individual becomes entitled to such insurance benefits, or (iii) . (b) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall apply with respect to applications for disability insurance benefits filed after the date of the enactment of this Act.