In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disability Equity Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF 5-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR BENEFITS BASED ON 
              DISABILITY.

    (a) Disability Insurance Benefits.--
            (1) In general.--The first sentence of section 223(a)(1) of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(1)) is amended by 
        striking ``(i) for each month'' and all that follows through 
        ``the first month in which he is under such disability'' and 
        inserting the following: ``for each month beginning with the 
        first month during all of which such individual is under a 
        disability and in which such individual becomes so entitled to 
        such insurance benefits''.
            (2) Waiting period eliminated from determination of benefit 
        amount.--
                    (A) In general.--The first sentence of section 
                223(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(2)) is amended 
                by striking ``in--'' and all that follows through ``and 
                as though'' and inserting the following: ``in the first 
                month for which such individual becomes entitled to 
                such disability insurance benefits, and as though''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--The second sentence of 
                section 223(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(2)) is 
                amended by striking ``subparagraph (A) or (B) of such 
                sentence, as the case may be'' and inserting ``such 
                sentence''.
            (3) Elimination of defined term.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 223(c)(2) of such Act is 
                repealed.
                    (B) Conforming amendments.--
                            (i) The heading of section 223(c) of such 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 423(c)) is amended to read as 
                        follows: ``Definition of Insured Status''.
                            (ii) Section 223(c)(1) of such Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 423(c)(1)) is amended by striking ``For 
                        purposes of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, 
                        when the number of quarters'' in the last 
                        sentence and inserting the following:
            ``(2) In applying paragraph (1)(B), when the number of 
        quarters''.
    (b) Widow's Insurance Benefits Based on Disability.--
            (1) In general.--Section 202(e)(1)(F) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 402(e)(1)(F)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(F) if she satisfies subparagraph (B) by reason of clause 
        (ii) thereof, the first month during all of which she is under 
        a disability and in which she becomes so entitled to such 
        insurance benefits,''.
            (2) Elimination of defined term.--Section 202(e) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 402(e)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (5); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) 
                as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively.
    (c) Widower's Insurance Benefits Based on Disability.--
            (1) In general.--Section 202(f)(1)(F) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 402(f)(1)(F)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(F) if he satisfies subparagraph (B) by reason of clause 
        (ii) thereof, the first month during all of which he is under a 
        disability and in which he becomes so entitled to such 
        insurance benefits,''.
            (2) Elimination of defined term.--Section 202(f) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 402(f)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (5); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) 
                as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively.
    (d) Elimination of Waiting Period for Commencement of Periods of 
Disability.--Section 216(i)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 416(i)(2)(A)) 
is amended by striking ``, but only'' and all that follows and 
inserting a period.
    (e) Effective Dates.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to benefits under section 223 of the Social Security 
Act, or under section 202 of such Act on the basis of the wages and 
self-employment income of an individual entitled to benefits under such 
section 223, for months following the month in which this Act is 
enacted. The amendments made by subsections (b) and (c) shall apply 
with respect to benefits based on disability under subsection (e) or 
(f) of section 202 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402) for 
months following the month in which this Act is enacted. The amendment 
made by subsection (d) shall apply only with respect to applications 
for disability determinations filed under title II of the Social 
Security Act on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE DISABILITY BENEFITS.

    (a) In General.--Section 226(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 426(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``, and has for 24 
        calendar months been entitled to,'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``, and has been for 
        not less than 24 months,'';
            (3) in paragraph (2)(C)(ii), by striking ``, including the 
        requirement that he has been entitled to the specified benefits 
        for 24 months,''; and
            (4) in the flush matter following paragraph 
        (2)(C)(ii)(II)--
                    (A) in the matter before the first complete 
                sentence, by striking ``for each month beginning with 
                the later of (I) July 1973 or (II) the twenty-fifth 
                month of his'' and inserting ``for each month beginning 
                with the first month of the individual's'';
                    (B) in the first complete sentence, by striking 
                ``the `twenty-fifth month of his entitlement' refers to 
                the first month after the twenty-fourth month of 
                entitlement to specified benefits referred to in 
                paragraph (2)(C) and'' and inserting ``the `first month 
                of the individual's entitlement' refers to the first 
                month of entitlement to specified benefits referred to 
                in paragraph (2)(C) and''; and
                    (C) in the second complete sentence, by striking 
                ``, but not in excess of 78 such months''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Subsections (f) and (h) of section 226 of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 426) are repealed.
            (2) Section 1811(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c(2)) is 
        amended by striking ``who have been entitled for not less than 
        24 months'' and inserting ``who are entitled''.
            (3) Section 1837(g)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p(g)(1)) 
        is amended by striking ``of the later of (A) April 1973 or (B) 
        the third month before the 25th month of such entitlement'' and 
        inserting ``of the first month of such entitlement''.
            (4) Section 7(d)(2)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 
        1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(d)(2)(ii)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``, for not less than 24 months''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``could have been entitled for 24 
                calendar months, and could currently be entitled,'' and 
                inserting ``could currently be entitled''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to insurance benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security 
Act with respect to items and services furnished in months beginning 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Output: Disability Equity Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate: (1) the five-month waiting period for an individual (including a disabled widow or widower) to be eligible for benefits based on disability; and (2) the waiting period for benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare).


Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Roads for America Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) An individual who is 65 years of age needs 4 times the 
        amount of light to see at night as compared to an individual 
        who is 25 years of age.
            (2) The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety projects that by 
        2030 1 in every 4 drivers will be 65 years of age or older.
            (3) Increasing the retroreflectivity and size of traffic 
        signs provides added decision time for older drivers.
            (4) Increasing the retroreflectivity and size of traffic 
        signs also provides for faster response time by emergency 
        medical technicians and police and fire personnel by increasing 
        their ability to read and understand signs and reduce travel 
        time to a site.
            (5) More than 50 percent of traffic accidents resulting in 
        fatalities occur at night, and increased retroreflectivity of 
        traffic signs addresses this issue.
            (6) In 2007, the following deadlines were established in 
        the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in response to a 
        statutory requirement from Congress:
                    (A) By January 22, 2012, roadway owners must adopt 
                a plan to ensure that their signs meet minimum levels 
                of retroreflectivity.
                    (B) By January 22, 2015, regulatory and warning 
                signs and post-mounted signs must meet minimum levels 
                of retroreflectivity.
                    (C) By January 22, 2018, overhead and street name 
                signs must meet minimum levels of retroreflectivity.
            (7) The Federal Highway Administration has estimated that 
        the cost for making these retroreflectivity improvements for 
        signage throughout the United States is $37,000,000 over a 10-
        year period.
            (8) At no point must a roadway owner replace a sign that 
        meets the minimum levels of retroreflectivity.
            (9) The United States is currently experiencing the worst 
        economic conditions since the Great Depression.
            (10) As a result, local governments across the United 
        States are experiencing one of the most economically 
        challenging times in history, with available revenues unable to 
        match the costs of services demanded by the public.
            (11) To compensate for depressed revenue collections during 
        the economic downturn, counties and cities are adopting severe 
        cost-cutting measures, such as laying off and furloughing 
        employees (including public safety personnel), cancelling or 
        postponing planned capital improvements, deferring necessary 
        maintenance, cutting equipment inventories, and in some cases 
        declaring bankruptcy.
            (12) The costs of employee benefits continue to rise and 
        local governments have to devote more resources to keep up with 
        inflation.
            (13) States are passing along the costs of services to 
        local governments as a method to balance their budgets.
            (14) The outlook for recovery appears to be at least 5 
        years away given that, even when the economy recovers, local 
        governments experience a delay in increased tax collections due 
        to the nature of property tax collections.

SEC. 3. RETROREFLECTIVITY LEVEL STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO TRAFFIC SIGNS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall modify the 
target compliance dates for minimum retroreflectivity level standards 
set forth in section 2A.08 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 
Devices for Streets and Highways, 2009 Edition (incorporated by 
reference in subpart F of part 655 of title 23, Code of Federal 
Regulations) so that the following target compliance dates apply:
            (1) A target compliance date of January 22, 2012, for 
        implementation and continued use of an assessment or management 
        method that is designed to maintain traffic sign 
        retroreflectivity at or above the established minimum levels.
            (2) A target compliance date of January 22, 2018, for 
        replacement of regulatory, warning, and post-mounted guide 
        (except street name) signs that are identified using the 
        assessment or management method as failing to meet the 
        established minimum levels.
            (3) A target compliance date of January 22, 2021, for 
        replacement of street name signs and overhead guide signs that 
        are identified using the assessment or management method as 
        failing to meet the established minimum levels.
    (b) Effect on Proposed Regulations.--The Secretary shall revise the 
notice of proposed amendments published in the Federal Register on 
August 31, 2011 (76 Fed. Reg. 54156), to incorporate the target 
compliance dates specified in subsection (a).
    (c) Funding.--The Secretary may use funds available to the 
Secretary to carry out this section notwithstanding any funding 
limitation enacted before the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Highway Signs and Pavement Markings.--Section 148(a)(3)(B)(xi) 
of title 23, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
                            ``(xi) Installation, replacement, and 
                        upgrade of highway signs and pavement markings, 
                        including any upgrade of materials and the 
                        implementation of any assessment or management 
                        method designed to meet a State-established 
                        performance standard, Federal regulation, or 
                        requirement contained in the Manual on Uniform 
                        Traffic Control Devices relating to minimum 
                        levels of retroreflectivity.''.
    (b) Maintaining Minimum Levels of Retroreflectivity.--
            (1) Definition.--Section 148(a) of such title is amended by 
        adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Project to maintain minimum levels of 
        retroreflectivity.--The term `project to maintain minimum 
        levels of retroreflectivity' means a project undertaken 
        pursuant to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 
        requiring public agencies to use an assessment or management 
        method that is designed to maintain highway sign or pavement 
        marking retroreflectivity at or above prescribed minimum 
        levels.''.
            (2) Eligible projects.--Section 148(d)(1) of such title is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
                subparagraph (C); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following:
                    ``(B) any project to maintain minimum levels of 
                retroreflectivity on a public road, whether or not such 
                project is included in the State strategic highway 
                safety plan; or''.
            (3) Increased federal share.--The first sentence of section 
        120(c)(1) of such title is amended by inserting ``maintaining 
        minimum levels of retroreflectivity of highway signs or 
        pavement markings,'' after ``signalization,''.
    (c) Standards for Projects To Upgrade Highway Signs and Pavement 
Markings.--Section 148 of such title is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(i) Standards for Projects To Upgrade Highway Signs and Pavement 
Markings.--The Secretary shall issue standards for the use of funds 
apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(5) for highway safety 
improvement projects to upgrade highway signs and pavement markings in 
order to meet or exceed minimum maintained levels of retroreflectivity. 
Such standards shall ensure that the projects are carried out so as to 
meet defined criteria, consistent with other safety upgrades, using a 
systematic approach. Such standards shall permit the use of the funds 
for an initial upgrade of highway signs and pavement markings in the 
State, but shall prohibit the funds from being used for maintenance 
activities.''.

Output: Safe Roads for America Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Transportation to modify the target compliance dates for the following minimum retroreflectivity level standards: (1) implementation and continued use of an assessment or management method that is designed to maintain traffic sign retroreflectivity at or above the established minimum levels; (2) replacement of regulatory, warning, and post-mounted guide (except street name) signs identified using the assessment or management method as failing to meet the established minimum levels; and (3) replacement of street name signs and overhead guide signs that are identified using the assessment or management method as failing to meet the established minimum levels.

 Requires the Secretary to revise the notice of proposed amendments published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2011, to incorporate the new target compliance dates.

Includes measures designed to meet a state-established performance standard, federal regulation, or requirement contained in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices relating to minimum levels of retroreflectivity as projects for purposes of the highway safety improvement program.

Allows a maximum 100% federal share of the costs of construction related to maintaining minimum levels of retroreflectivity of highway signs or pavement markings.

Directs the Secretary to issue standards for the use of funds apportioned to a state for highway safety improvement projects to upgrade highway signs and pavement markings in order to meet or exceed minimum maintained levels of retroreflectivity. Requires such standards to prohibit fund use for maintenance activities.


Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Unlocking Lifesaving Treatments for 
Rare-Diseases Act'' or ``ULTRA''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING THE ACCELERATED APPROVAL PATHWAY FOR FAST TRACK 
              PRODUCTS TO SERVE THE UNMET NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH 
              ULTRA RARE DISEASES.

    Section 506 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
356) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Scientific Standards for Approval of Certain Orphan Drugs as 
Fast Track Products.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may approve an application 
        for a drug designated under section 526 for a rare disease or 
        condition as a fast track product using a surrogate endpoint as 
        described under paragraph (2) if--
                    ``(A) the Secretary makes an initial determination 
                that the drug is eligible for approval--
                            ``(i) as a drug designated for a rare 
                        disease or condition under section 526; and
                            ``(ii) as a fast track product under this 
                        section; and
                    ``(B) the drug is a treatment for a disease or 
                condition that affects a small number of patients in 
                the United States, as determined by the Secretary in 
                designating the drug for a rare disease or condition 
                under section 526.
            ``(2) Surrogate endpoint definition for certain fast track 
        products.--
                    ``(A) In general.--If a drug meets the criteria 
                established in paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                            ``(i) may use a surrogate endpoint for the 
                        approval of the drug as a fast track product 
                        based on the existence of reasonable scientific 
                        data that support and qualify the relevance of 
                        the surrogate endpoint to the disease state and 
                        treatment; and
                            ``(ii) shall not require clinical treatment 
                        data or other historical clinical data on the 
                        surrogate endpoint as a prerequisite to 
                        assessment of the surrogate endpoint under this 
                        subsection if such data are not available.
                    ``(B) Use of clinical data.--
                            ``(i) Subject to subparagraph (A)(ii), in a 
                        surrogate endpoint assessment under this 
                        subsection, the Secretary may take into 
                        consideration any reliable clinical data that 
                        are readily available and published.
                            ``(ii) For a surrogate endpoint which the 
                        Secretary decides to use in accordance with 
                        subparagraph (A), nothing in this subsection 
                        shall preclude the Secretary from requiring 
                        clinical data that makes use of the surrogate 
                        endpoint as a condition of approval for the 
                        fast track product.
                    ``(C) Guidance and considerations.--Not later than 
                1 year after the date of enactment of the Unlocking 
                Lifesaving Treatments for Rare-Diseases Act, the 
                Secretary shall issue guidance providing details and 
                options for qualifying surrogate endpoints without 
                clinical data pursuant to this subsection. In 
                qualifying a surrogate endpoint under this subsection, 
                the Secretary shall take into account and balance the 
                following considerations:
                            ``(i) The unmet need served by the drug and 
                        the adverse effects of the rare disease or 
                        condition on quality of life and length of 
                        life.
                            ``(ii) The very low likelihood that 
                        clinical data would exist or that clinical 
                        studies would be completed to support a 
                        surrogate endpoint due to the small size of the 
                        patient population in the United States and 
                        other significant barriers inherent in 
                        performing such clinical studies due to the 
                        prevalence of the disease or related factors.
                            ``(iii) The full scope of available basic 
                        scientific data and information describing the 
                        pathophysiology of the disease, mechanism of 
                        action of the drug, biology of the relevant 
                        disease pathway, information regarding the 
                        quality of the biomarker assay, model treatment 
                        data, or other supportive scientific 
                        information that the Secretary deems reasonably 
                        predictive of a clinical benefit in the absence 
                        of clinical data.''.


Output: Unlocking Lifesaving Treatments for Rare-Diseases Act or ULTRA - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve an application for a drug as a fast track product using a surrogate endpoint, based on the existence of reasonable scientific data that support and qualify the relevance of such endpoint to the disease state and treatment, if the Secretary: (1) makes an initial determination that the drug is eligible for approval as a drug designated for a rare disease or condition (orphan drug) and as a fast track product, and (2) determines that the drug is a treatment for a disease or condition that affects a small number of patients in the United States. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring clinical treatment or other historical clinical data on such endpoint as a prerequisite to assessment of that endpoint if such scientific data is not available.

Directs the Secretary to issue guidance providing details and options for qualifying surrogate endpoints without clinical data, taking into account and balancing: (1) the unmet need served by the drug and the adverse effects of the rare disease or condition on quality and length of life, (2) the very low likelihood that clinical data would exist or that clinical studies would be completed to support a surrogate endpoint due to the small size of the U.S. patient population and other significant barriers inherent in performing such studies due to the prevalence of the disease or related factors, and (3) the full scope of available basic scientific data and information that the Secretary deems reasonably predictive of a clinical benefit in the absence of clinical data.