,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #afj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #d1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,mc,intyre introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,ways and ,means  ,a      
,,bill  ,to amend title ,,ii of the     
,social ,security ,act to eliminate the 
#e-month waiting period for entitlement 
to disability benefits and to eliminate 
reconsideration as an intervening step  
between initial benefit entitlement     
decisions and subsequent hearings on the
 record on such decisions4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,disability ,benefit ,fairness ,act of  
#bjac4  #b4 ,elimination of #e-,,month  
waiting period for benefits based on    
disability  7a7 ,disability ,insurance  
,benefits  7#a7 ,in general ,the first  
sentence of section #bbc7;a77#a7 of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#dbc7;a77#a77 is amended by striking 7i7
 for each month and all that follows    
through the first month in which he is  

under such disability and inserting the 
following3 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 benefits4    
7#b7 ,waiting period eliminated from    
determination of benefit amount  7,a7   
,in general ,the first sentence of      
section #bbc7;a77#b7 of such ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #dbc7;a77#b77 is amended by   
striking in-- and all that follows      
through and as though and inserting the 
following3 in the first month for which 
such individual becomes entitled to such
 disability insurance benefits1 and as  
though4  7,b7 ,conforming amendment ,the
 second sentence of section #bbc7;a77#b7
 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#dbc7;a77#b77 is amended by striking    
subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 of such       
sentence1 as the case may be and        
inserting such sentence4  7#c7          
,elimination of defined term  7,a7 ,in  
general ,section #bbc7;c77#b7 of such   

,act is repealed4  7,b7 ,conforming     
amendments  7i7 ,the heading of section 
#bbc7;c7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#dbc7;c77 is amended to read as follows3
 ,definition of ,insured ,status4  7ii7 
,section #bbc7;c77#a7 of such ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #dbc7;c77#a77 is amended by   
striking ,for purposes of subparagraph  
7,b7 of this paragraph1 when the number 
of quarters in the last sentence and    
inserting the following3  7#b7 ,in      
applying paragraph 7#a77;,b71 when the  
number of quarters  4  7b7 ,widow's     
,insurance ,benefits ,based on          
,disability  7#a7 ,in general ,section  
#bjb7;e77#a77;,f7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #djb7;e77#a77;,f77 is amended 
to read as follows3  7,f7 if she        
satisfies subparagraph 7,b7 by reason of
 clause 7ii7 thereof1 the first month   
during all of which she is under a      
disability and in which she becomes so  
entitled to such insurance benefits1  4 
7#b7 ,elimination of defined term       
,section #bjb7;e7 of such ,act 7#db     

,u4,s4,c4 #djb7;e77 is amended--  7,a7  
by striking paragraph 7#e72 and  7,b7 by
 redesignating paragraphs 7#f71 7#g71   
and 7#h7 as paragraphs 7#e71 7#f71 and  
7#g71 respectively4  7c7 ,widower's     
,insurance ,benefits ,based on          
,disability  7#a7 ,in general ,section  
#bjb7;f77#a77;,f7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #djb7;f77#a77;,f77 is amended 
to read as follows3  7,f7 if he         
satisfies subparagraph 7,b7 by reason of
 clause 7ii7 thereof1 the first month   
during all of which he is under a       
disability and in which he becomes so   
entitled to such insurance benefits1  4 
7#b7 ,elimination of defined term       
,section #bjb7;f7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #djb7;f77 is amended--  7,a7  
by striking paragraph 7#e72 and  7,b7 by
 redesignating paragraphs 7#f71 7#g71   
and 7#h7 as paragraphs 7#e71 7#f71 and  
7#g71 respectively4  7d7 ,elimination of
 ,waiting ,period for ,commencement of  
,periods of ,disability ,section        
#baf7;i77#b77;,a7 of such ,act 7#db     

,u4,s4,c4 #daf7;i77#b77;,a77 is amended 
by striking 1 but only and all that     
follows and inserting a period4  7e7    
,effective ,dates ,the amendments made  
by subsection 7a7 shall apply only with 
respect to benefits under section #bbc  
of the ,social ,security ,act1 or under 
section #bjb of such ,act on the basis  
of the wages and self-employment income 
of an individual entitled to benefits   
under such section #bbc1 for months     
after the third month following the     
month in which this ,act is enacted4    
,the amendments made by subsections 7b7 
and 7c7 shall apply only with respect to
 benefits based on disability under     
subsection 7e7 or 7f7 of section #bjb of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #djb7 for months after the    
third month following the month in which
 this ,act is enacted4 ,the amendment   
made by subsection 7d7 shall apply only 
with respect to applications for        
disability determinations filed under   
title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act

 on or after the #ijth day following the
 date of the enactment of this ,act4    
#c4 ,elimination of reconsideration in  
the review process governing decisions  
on benefit entitlement  7a7 ,in ,general
 ,section #bje7;b77#a7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#dje7;b77#a77 is amended by adding at   
the end the following new sentence3     
,opportunity for a hearing under this   
title in accordance with this subsection
 with respect to any initial decision or
 determination under this title shall be
 available without any requirement for  
intervening reconsideration44  7b7      
,conforming ,amendments ,section        
#bje7;b7 of such ,act is amended--  7#a7
 by striking paragraph 7#b72 and  7#b7  
by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as      
paragraph 7#b74  7c7 ,effective ,date   
,the amendments made by this section    
shall apply with respect to initial     
decisions and determinations 7subject to
 opportunity for a hearing to the extent
 provided under section #bje7;b7 of the 

,social ,security ,act7 issued after #a 
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act4