From: Kelly Pierce
Subject: ticket to work proposal introduced
Legislation that reform Social Security for blind persons and those with
disabilities has been introduced recently. It could open up options for
training and education for those on Social Security and avoiding the
rehabilitation bureaucracy. Analysis of the bill is below from a recent
bulliten from the American Foundation for the Blind followed by remarks
from the bill's sponsor and the entire text of the bill itself.
kelly
Words from Washington
March 20, 1998
Social Security Reform
On March 11, Jim Bunning (R-KY-4)introduced H.R. 3433, the "Ticket
to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act of 1998". This bill is the
culmination of over three years of activity in the Subcommittee on
Social Security to try to provide mechanisms in the Social Security
disability programs to get people off the rolls and back to work.
The basic thrust of the bill is to encourage primarily private
providers of rehabilitation services to provide such services to
SSDI or SSI beneficiaries through a voucher system.
Most recently, key members of Congress have indicated that they are
prepared to move legislation that would implement some of the
reform proposals advocated by disability community activists. This
legislation is dominated by the provider-based perspective and has
not emphasized many consumer-based proposals, such as the
elimination of the so-called earnings cliff and other powerful
disincentives to work in current law. Although AFB remains
committed to the principle of restoring the linkage between seniors
and blind SSDI beneficiaries, we recognize this current opportunity
to advance our public policy agenda and to make changes in Social
Security that would be of great benefit to people who are blind or
visually impaired.
This legislation is on an extremely fast track and is currently
scheduled for mark up on Thursday, March 26. We expect similar
legislation to be introduced in the Senate shortly.
Congressional Record dated Wednesday, March 11, 1998
Extensions of Remarks Section
----------------------------------------
Remarks by BUNNING (R-KY) on H.R. 3433
THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT OF 1998
[CR page E-347, 57 lines]
Attributed to BUNNING (R-KY)
THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT OF 1998
----------
HON. JIM BUNNING
OF KENTUCKY
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 11, 1998
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. Speaker, today, on behalf of myself and Barbara
ennelly,
I am introducing the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act of 1998. This
legislation helps Social Security and Supplemental Security Income
disability
recipients return to a life of economic security and self-sufficiency.
Social Security programs are vital to all Americans. The disability
program
is particularly important because it protects workers and their families
against severe financial hardship that occurs when workers sustain severe
illnesses or disabling conditions that prevent them from working.
Due to advances in medicine, technology, and the field of rehabilitation,
there are people who, despite serious disabilities, want to work and who
could work if they were provided the kind of rehabilitation services they
need. The disability program is like a big black hole--once people fall
nto
the program they never seem to make their way out. In fact, less than 1
percent of disabled recipients ever leave the rolls because of work.
Our legislation is very simple. We remove many of the barriers that
prevent
individuals with disabilities from climbing out of that hole.
The consumer--the recipient with a disability--is number one. They choose
the services they want from the providers they want. Generally, the
rovider
of those services is paid for outcomes and long-term results. The payment
process is designed to ensure that as many providers as possible are
available to serve the consumer.
One of the primary obstacles facing disabled recipients who attempt to
leave the Social Security rolls to work is the fear of losing health care.
To
help alleviate that fear, our bill will extend Medicare coverage for 2
additional years. This means that recipients would have Medicare coverage
for
a total of 6 years from the time they first make an attempt to work.
Due to the nature of their disability, many individuals incur
extraordinary
costs in trying to get a job and maintaining that Job. This legislation
creates a tax credit of 50 percent of impairment-related work expenses up
o
$10,000 per year.
To better help consumers transition into work, the bill includes a
requirement that SSA test a gradual offset of SSDI cash benefits by
educing
monthly benefits $1 for every $2 in earnings over a determined level.
Through this legislation we are asking the Social Security Administration
to become more than just a disability program administrator, we want them
o
be an ability program administrator. The Commissioner benefits from the
counsel of an advisory panel, made up of consumers, providers, and employer
representatives. And the program will be gradually phased in, closely
monitored, and thoroughly evaluated over time.
I am excited about the possibilities this bill creates for individuals
with
disabilities. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in
suporting this effort.
----====>====----
----------------------------------------
Remarks by KENNELLY (D-CT) on H.R. 3433
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY: THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY
ACT OF 1998 [CR page E-347, 59 lines]
Attributed to KENNELLY (D-CT)
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY: THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT OF
1998
----------
HON. BARBARA B. KENNELLY
OF CONNECTICUT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, March 11, 1998
Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing, along
with Rep. Jim Bunning, bipartisan legislation to assist people with
disabilities in returning to work. The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency
Act will help to open the door to employment for Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.
Many of these beneficiaries would like to return to employment but find
too
many obstacles standing between them and a job. These obstacles often
include
the need for vocational rehabilitation, job training, and other assistance
in
finding and retaining a job. In addition, beneficiaries face the
disincentives to work brought on by the loss of disability benefits and
health care coverage. All of these stand in the way of a person who wants
o
leave the Social Security disability system for work.
Rep. Bunning and I have worked on a bipartisan approach to reducing these
disincentives. The legislation would afford beneficiaries three important
bridges to employment. First, the legislation would provide SSDI and SSI
beneficiaries a much greater choice of vocational rehabilitation providers,
who help train and find jobs for individuals with disabilities. The bill
would offer to disabled beneficiaries a ticket to work which could be
presented to either a private vocational rehabilitation provider of the
beneficiary's choice or a State vocational rehabilitation agency.
The bill would allow a beneficiary to choose the provider which best
uits
his or her needs and is most likely to assist that individual effectively
n
returning to work. Providers would be paid under an incentive system that
would permit them to share in the savings to the government when the
individual returns to work and is no longer receiving disability benefits.
Second, the bill addresses the principle fear facing disabled
beneficiaries--the loss of health insurance coverage. The bill would offer
Medicare coverage for at least 6 years for those individuals who leave the
rolls to return to work. This is a 2-year extension over current law.
Finally, the legislation would make work pay. It would convert the
urrent
income tax deduction for the cost of work expenses related to one's
impairment into a credit. The credit would be 50 percent of impairment-
related expenses up to $10,000 in expenses. This would have the effect of
permitting those who do not itemize to take into account the extraordinary
work expenses, such as specialized computers or personal assistants,
resulting from their disability. This is intended to cushion the blow of
lost
disability benefits and level the employment playing field between those
people with disabilities and those without.
Leaving the disability rolls is no easy task. It is my hope that this
ill
will help to build a bridge to employment for people with disabilities.
Every
person who returns to work means one more person with a brighter future,
nd
it means lower cost to the government. I hope our colleagues will join us
n
the bipartisan effort.
----------
H.R.3433 As introduced in the House, March 11, 1998
----------------------------------------
I
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3433
To amend the Social Security Act to establish a Ticket to Work and Self-
Sufficiency Program in the Social Security Administration to provide
beneficiaries with disabilities meaningful opportunities to return to
work and to extend Medicare coverage for such beneficiaries, and to
amend
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for
impairment-
related work expenses.
------------------------------
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 1998
Mr. Bunning (for himself and Mrs. Kennelly of Connecticut) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
------------------------------
A BILL
To amend the Social Security Act to establish a Ticket to Work and Self-
Sufficiency Program in the Social Security Administration to provide
beneficiaries with disabilities meaningful opportunities to return to
work and to extend Medicare coverage for such beneficiaries, and to
amend
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for
impairment-
related work expenses.
==============================
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 "Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act
f
1998".
SEC. 2. THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Part A of title XI of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C.
1301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
"THE TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM
"Sec. 1147. (a) In General.--The Commissioner of Social Security shall
establish a Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program, under which a
disabled beneficiary may use a ticket to work and self-sufficiency issued
y
the Commissioner in accordance with this section to obtain employment
services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services
rom
an employment network which is of the beneficiary's choice and which is
willing to provide such services to such beneficiary.
"(b) Ticket System.--
"(1) Distribution of tickets.--The Commissioner of Social Security
may issue a ticket to work and self-sufficiency to disabled
beneficiaries
for participation in the Program.
"(2) Assignment of tickets.--A disabled beneficiary holding a
icket
to work and self-sufficiency may assign the ticket to any employment
network of the beneficiary's choice which is serving under the Program
and is willing to accept the assignment.
"(3) Ticket terms.--A ticket issued under paragraph (1) shall
consist
of a document which evidences the Commissioner's agreement to pay (as
provided in paragraph (4)) an employment network, which is serving
nder
the Program and to which such ticket is assigned by the beneficiary,
or
such employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other
support services as the employment network may agree to provide to the
beneficiary.
"(4) Payments to employment networks.--The Commissioner shall pay
n
employment network under the Program in accordance with the outcome
payment system under subsection (h)(2) or under the outcome-milestone
payment system under subsection (h)(3) (whichever is elected pursuant
o
subsection (h)(1)). An employment network may not request or receive
compensation for such services from the beneficiary.
"(c) State Participation.--
"(1) Periodic elections.--Each State agency described in section
22
or 1615 may elect to participate in the Program (or to revoke any such
election) as an employment network. The Commissioner shall provide for
periodic opportunities for exercising such elections (and revocations).
"(2) Treatment of state agencies.--Any such election (or
evocation)
by a State agency described in section 222 or 1615 taking effect during
any period for which an individual residing in the State is a disabled
beneficiary and a client of the State agency shall not be effective
ith
respect to such individual to the extent that such election (or
revocation) would result in any change in the method of payment to the
State agency with respect to the individual from the method of payment
to
the State agency with respect to the individual in effect immediately
before such election (or revocation).
"(3) Effect of participation by state agency.--
"(A) State agencies participating.--In any case in which a
tate
agency described in section 222 or 1615 elects under paragraph (1)
to
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