,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bgfc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #aj1 #bjbe,mr4 ,sanders 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,kim1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,hickenlooper1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,gallego1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,ms4 ,alsobrooks1 and ,mr4 ,heinrich7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act to permanently appropriate funding for the administrative expenses of the ,social ,security ,administration1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,keep ,billionaires ,out of ,social ,security ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,exempting ,social ,security from the jurisdiction of the ,department of ,government ,efficiency 7,,doge7 and the application of certain executive orders4,sec4 #c4 ,access by political appointees and special government employees4,sec4 #d4 ,limitations on authority of ,social ,security ,administration to except positions from competitive service and transfer positions4,sec4 #e4 ,requiring that only deceased individuals be added to the ,death ,master ,file4,sec4 #f4 ,closure of field and hearing offices and resident or rural contact stations4,sec4 #g4 ,reestablishing the ,offices of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity1 ,transformation1 and ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight4,sec4 #h4 ,funding for administrative expenses of the ,social ,security ,administration4,sec4 #i4 ,additional funding to improve ,social ,security customer experience4,sec4 #aj4 ,codification of former policy regarding recovery of ,social ,security overpayments4,sec4 #aa4 ,state grants to protect the legal rights of ,,ssi and ,,ssdi applicants and beneficiaries4,sec4 #ab4 ,social ,security assistance and representation grants4 #b4 ,exempting ,social ,security from the jurisdiction of the ,department of ,government ,efficiency 7,,doge7 and the application of certain executive orders 7a7 ,in general ,with respect to the agencies1 personnel1 systems1 and benefits and programs described in subsection 7b7-- 7#a7 ,,doge shall have no authority or jurisdiction2 and 7#b7 the ,executive orders described in subsection 7c7 shall not apply4 7b7 ,covered agencies1 personnel1 systems1 and benefits and programs ,the agencies1 personnel1 systems1 and benefits and programs described in this subsection are the ,social ,security ,administration1 any officer or employee of the ,social ,security ,administration1 the data1 information technology1 and operating systems of the ,social ,security ,administration1 and any benefits or program administered by the ,social ,security ,administration1 including the ,old-,age and ,survivors ,insurance and ,disability ,insurance programs and associated benefits under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dja et seq474 7c7 ,executive orders ,the ,executive orders described in this subsection are-- 7#a7 ,executive ,orders #adaeh1 #adbaj1 #adbai1 and #adbbb 7#ij ,fed4 ,reg4 #hdda1 #iffi1 #ajehc1 #aajie72 and 7#b7 any other ,executive order relating to any entity described in paragraph 7#a71 7#b71 7#c71 or 7#e74 7d7 ,,doge ,for purposes of this section1 the term ,,doge means-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states ,,doge ,service2 7#b7 the ,united ,states ,,doge ,service ,temporary ,organization2 7#c7 any ,,doge team 7as defined in any of the ,executive orders described in subsection 7c77#a772 7#d7 any entity established in accordance with1 or to implement1 any ,executive order described in subsection 7c72 and 7#e7 any successor entity to an entity described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#d74 #c4 ,access by political appointees and special government employees 7a7 ,in general ,section #aajf of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjf7 is amended by adding after subsection 7g7 the following new subsections3 7h7 ,access by political appointees and special government employees 7#a7 ,in general 7,a7 ,prohibition on access to beneficiary data systems ,notwithstanding any other subsection of this section1 an individual who is a political appointee 7as that term is defined in section #d7;a7 of the ,edward #8,ted' ,kaufman and ,michael ,leavitt ,presidential ,transitions ,improvements ,act of #bjae 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 #caja note77 or a special government employee 7as that term is defined in section #bjb7;a7 of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code7 may not access a beneficiary data system4 7,b7 ,exception ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not apply with respect to a political appointee or special government employee who has been appointed to1 or is employed in1 a position within the ,social ,security ,administration with responsibility to research1 analyze1 or improve the delivery of benefits to program recipients4 7#b7 ,beneficiary data system defined ,in this section1 the term beneficiary data system means a system that is maintained by the ,social ,security ,administration for the purposes of administering this ,act that-- 7,a7 issues or records social security account numbers2 7,b7 is used to determine eligibility for benefits under this ,act2 7,c7 to pay benefits under this ,act2 or 7,d7 otherwise contains records of personally identifiable information1 personal health information1 or ,federal tax information of individuals receiving or applying for a benefit under this ,act4 7i7 ,civil penalties 7#a7 ,in general 7,a7 ,disclosure or access by employee of ,united ,states ,if any officer or employee of the ,united ,states negligently discloses or accesses any information that pertains to an individual in violation of any provision of subsection 7a7 or 7h71 such individual may bring a civil action for damages against the ,united ,states in a district court of the ,united ,states4 7,b7 ,disclosure or access by a person who is not an employee of ,united ,states ,if any person who is not an officer or employee of the ,united ,states negligently discloses or accesses any information that pertains to an individual in violation of any provision of subsection 7a7 or 7h71 such individual may bring a civil action for damages against such person in a district court of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,exceptions ,no liability shall arise under this section with respect to any disclosure or access-- 7,a7 which results from a good faith1 but erroneous1 interpretation of subsection 7a7 or 7h72 or 7,b7 which is requested by the individual4 7#c7 ,damages ,in any action brought under paragraph 7#a71 upon a finding of liability on the part of the defendant1 the defendant shall be liable to the plaintiff in an amount equal to the sum of-- 7,a7 the greater of-- 7i7 #e1jjj for each act of unauthorized access or disclosure with respect to which such defendant is found liable2 or 7ii7 the sum of-- 7,i7 the actual damages sustained by the plaintiff as a result of such unauthorized access or disclosure1 plus 7,,ii7 in the case of a willful access or disclosure or an access or disclosure which is the result of gross negligence1 punitive damages1 7,b7 the costs of the action1 plus 7,c7 reasonable attorneys fees1 except that if the defendant is the ,united ,states1 reasonable attorneys fees may be awarded only if the plaintiff is the prevailing party4 7#d7 ,period for bringing action ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 an action to enforce any liability created under this section may be brought1 without regard to the amount in controversy1 at any time within #e years after the date of discovery by the plaintiff of the unauthorized disclosure or access4 7j7 ,criminal penalties ,it shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the ,united ,states to willfully to disclose to any person any information that pertains to an individual in violation of any provision of subsection 7a7 or 7h74 ,any violation of this subsection shall be a felony punishable upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding #aj1jjj1 or imprisonment of not more than #e years1 or both1 together with the costs of prosecution1 and1 in addition to any other punishment1 such officer or employee shall be dismissed from office or discharged from employment upon conviction for such offense4 7k7 ,investigation and report 7#a7 ,investigation ,the ,inspector ,general of the ,social ,security ,administration shall investigate each disclosure in violation of subsection 7a7 and each access of a beneficiary data system in violation of subsection 7h74 7#b7 ,treatment of disclosure or access ,for the purposes of this subsection1 the ,inspector ,general may1 if the ,inspector ,general determines appropriate1 treat a series of violations of subsection 7a7 or 7h7 as a single violation4 7#c7 ,report ,not later than #cj days after the ,inspector ,general becomes aware of a violation of subsection 7a7 or 7h71 the ,inspector ,general shall submit to ,congress a report on such violation1 which shall include-- 7,a7 a detailed description of the violation2 7,b7 a risk assessment of any threat to the privacy of any individual whose information was disclosed or accessed1 national security1 cybersecurity1 or the integrity of the applicable beneficiary data system as a result of the violation2 and 7,c7 a detailed description of any stopped payment during the unauthorized use or access4 4 7b7 ,privacy regulations ,notwithstanding this section and the amendments made by this section1 part #dja of title #bj of the ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as in effect on ,january #ai1 #bjbe1 shall have the force and effect of law4 7c7 ,,gao study and interim reports 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller of the ,united ,states shall submit to the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives a report including the following information3 7,a7 ,the results of a study on the effects of the changes made to section #aajf of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjf7 by this section and any subsequently enacted law4 7,b7 ,any civil actions brought under subsection 7i7 of section #aajf of such ,act1 as added by subsection 7a71 including the results of such civil action4 7,c7 ,a summary of any investigations conducted under subsection 7k7 of section #aajf of such ,act1 as added by subsection 7a74 7,d7 ,any convictions for a violation of subsection 7a7 or 7h7 of section #aajf of such ,act under subsection 7j7 of such ,act1 as added by subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,interim reports ,not later than #a month after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and monthly thereafter until such time as the report required under paragraph 7#a7 is submitted1 the ,comptroller of the ,united ,states shall submit to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate an interim report on the information required under paragraph 7#a71 including the status of the study described in subparagraph 7,a7 of such paragraph4 7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of this section shall apply to violations of section #aajf of the ,social ,security ,act occurring on or after the date of enactment of this ,act4 #d4 ,limitations on authority of ,social ,security ,administration to except positions from competitive service and transfer positions 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term ,administration means the ,social ,security ,administration2 7#b7 the term ,commissioner means the ,commissioner of ,social ,security2 7#c7 the term competitive service has the meaning given the term in section #bajb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 7#d7 the term ,director means the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management2 and 7#e7 the term excepted service has the meaning given the term in section #bajc of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7b7 ,limitations ,a position in the competitive service in the ,administration may not be excepted from the competitive service unless that position is placed-- 7#a7 in any of schedules ,a through ,e1 as described in section #f4b of title #e1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as in effect on ,september #cj1 #bjbj2 and 7#b7 under the terms and conditions under part #f of title #e1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as in effect on ,september #cj1 #bjbj4 7c7 ,transfers 7#a7 ,within excepted service ,a position in the excepted service in the ,administration may not be transferred to any schedule other than a schedule described in subsection 7b77#a74 7#b7 ,,opm consent required ,the ,commissioner may not transfer any occupied position in the ,administration from the competitive service or the excepted service into schedule ,c of subpart ,c of part #bac of title #e1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor regulations1 without the prior consent of the ,director4 7#c7 ,limit during presidential term ,during any #d-year presidential term1 the ,commissioner may not transfer from a position in the competitive service in the ,administration to a position in the excepted service in the ,administration the greater of the following3 7,a7 ,a total number of employees that is more than #a percent of the total number of employees employed by the ,administration1 as of the first day of that presidential term4 7,b7 #e employees4 7#d7 ,employee consent required ,notwithstanding any other provision of this section-- 7,a7 an employee who occupies a position in the excepted service in the ,administration may not be transferred to an excepted service schedule other than the schedule in which that position is located without the prior written consent of the employee2 and 7,b7 an employee who occupies a position in the competitive service in the ,administration may not be transferred to the excepted service without the prior written consent of the employee4 7d7 ,report ,not later than ,march #ae of each calendar year1 the ,director shall submit to ,congress a report on the immediately preceding calendar year that lists-- 7#a7 each position in the ,administration that1 during the year covered by the report1 was transferred from the competitive service to the excepted service and a justification as to why each such position was so transferred2 and 7#b7 any violation of this section that occurred during the year covered by the report4 7e7 ,regulations ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall issue regulations to implement this section4 #e4 ,requiring that only deceased individuals be added to the ,death ,master ,file ,section #bje7r7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dje7r77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#g7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking may and inserting shall2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking and2 7,c7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7,d7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,c7 notify any agency that has a cooperative arrangement with the ,commissioner of ,social ,security under paragraph 7#c7 or 7#aa7 of the error4 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#ab7 ,the ,commissioner of ,social ,security may not record a death to a record that may be provided under this section for any individual unless the ,commissioner of ,social ,security has found it has clear and convincing evidence to support that the individual should be presumed to be deceased4 4 #f4 ,closure of field and hearing offices and resident or rural contact stations 7a7 ,in general ,section #gjd of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ijd7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7f7 ,access to ,field and ,hearing ,offices and ,live ,telephone ,operator ,services 7#a7 ,the ,commissioner of ,social ,security shall-- 7,a7 maintain1 at a minimum1 the same number of field and hearing offices of the ,social ,security ,administration that existed on ,january #a1 #bjbe2 7,b7 not close1 or reduce the level of services provided by1 any field office1 hearing office1 or resident station of the ,administration that existed on ,january #a1 #bjbe1 except in the case of a short-term emergency or relocation2 7,c7 maintain meaningful and efficient access to live operator assistance2 and 7,d7 not later than #ab months after the date of enactment of the ,keep ,billionaires ,out of ,social ,security ,act1 significantly improve telephone wait times1 callback times1 and average service times for beneficiaries and applicants1 as compared to the average levels for such times during calendar year #bjbd4 7#b7 ,the ,commissioner may make recommendations to ,congress proposing field or hearing office location changes1 consolidations1 or closures from time to time4 7#c7 ,the ,commissioner may-- 7,a7 establish new field or hearing offices in addition to those that existed on ,january #a1 #bjbe2 and 7,b7 expand the level of services offered by a field or hearing office beyond what such office offered on ,january #a1 #bjbe4 7#d7 ,the ,commissioner shall not limit public access to any field or hearing office of the ,administration1 or the staff of any such office1 that existed on ,january #a1 #bjbe4 7#e7 ,the ,commissioner shall not reduce the number of employees of the ,administration 7as determined on an annual basis7 below the number of employees of the ,administration that were employed during calendar year #bjbd4 7#f7 ,the ,administration shall not be subject to any hiring freeze1 hiring prohibition1 reduction in force order1 or similar policy1 and1 notwithstanding any such freeze1 prohibition1 order1 or policy1 the ,commissioner shall have the authority to hire new employees if the ,commissioner deems it necessary to improve services provided by the ,administration to beneficiaries and applicants of the programs established under this ,act4 7#g7 ,the ,commissioner shall establish an online option1 in accessible formats1 for beneficiaries and applicants to apply1 make benefit claims1 and make changes to direct deposit information4 4 7b7 ,retroactive application ,the amendment made by this section shall take effect as if enacted on ,january #a1 #bjbe1 and any actions taken by the ,commissioner of ,social ,security or any other officer of the executive branch that are inconsistent with such amendment shall be reversed4 #g4 ,reestablishing the ,offices of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity1 ,transformation1 and ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight ,section #gjb of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ijb7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections3 7f7 ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity 7#a7 ,in general ,there shall be in the ,administration an ,office of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity4 ,the head of the ,office of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity shall be the ,deputy ,commissioner of ,civil ,rights1 who shall-- 7,a7 be appointed by the ,commissioner2 7,b7 as of the date on which the appointment described in subparagraph 7,a7 is made1 be serving as a career appointee 7as defined in section #cacb7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code7 in the ,social ,security ,administration2 and 7,c7 exercise such duties as are appropriate for the ,office of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity of the ,administration and in accordance with ,federal civil rights laws4 7#b7 ,responsibilities ,the ,office of ,civil ,rights and ,equal ,opportunity shall be responsible for the management of the ,administration's programs of civil rights and equal opportunity1 including the development of the ,administration's civil rights and equal opportunity policies1 regulations1 procedures1 and enforcement of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij and sections #eja1 #ejd1 and #eje of the ,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc pertaining to the development of affirmative action employment and equal opportunity programs to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment1 which shall include-- 7,a7 planning1 implementing1 and directing programs designed to ensure equal opportunity in employment for all employees regardless of race1 color1 national origin1 religion1 age1 disability1 genetic information1 or sex2 7,b7 processing1 adjudicating1 and resolving complaints of discrimination in compliance with all applicable laws1 regulations1 and other guidance issued by the ,equal ,employment ,opportunity ,commission2 7,c7 directing and managing the ,administration's reasonable accommodation program for employees with disabilities2 and 7,d7 developing and maintaining all necessary information systems to manage the ,administration's equal opportunity programs1 develop reliable statistical data analyses1 and track workloads4 7g7 ,transformation ,there shall be in the ,administration an ,office of ,transformation4 ,the head of the ,office of ,transformation shall be the ,deputy ,commissioner of ,transformation1 who shall-- 7#a7 be appointed by the ,commissioner2 7#b7 as of the date on which the appointment described in paragraph 7#a7 is made1 be serving as a career appointee 7as defined in section #cacb7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code7 in the ,social ,security ,administration2 and 7#c7 exercise such duties as are appropriate for the ,office of ,transformation of the ,administration1 which shall include strategic guidance and oversight of the ,administration's initiatives1 addressing policies1 business processes1 and systems1 including customer service-related systems and projects and resolving delays and ensure successful implementation of such systems and projects4 7h7 ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight ,there shall be in the ,administration an ,office of ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight4 ,the head of the ,office of ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight shall be the ,deputy ,commissioner of ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight1 who shall-- 7#a7 be appointed by the ,commissioner2 7#b7 as of the date on which the appointment described in paragraph 7#a7 is made1 be serving as a career appointee 7as defined in section #cacb7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code7 in the ,social ,security ,administration2 7#c7 exercise such duties as are appropriate for the ,office of ,analytics1 ,review1 and ,oversight of the ,administration which shall include reviewing program quality and effectiveness1 making recommendations for program improvement1 and coordinating the detection and prevention of fraud4 4 #h4 ,funding for administrative expenses of the ,social ,security ,administration 7a7 ,in general ,section #bja7;g77#a77;,a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dja7;g77#a77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the third sentence of the matter following clause 7ii71 by striking the costs of the part of the administration of this title1 title ,,viii1 title ,,xvi1 and title ,,xviii for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible12 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 ,for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year #bjbf1 there is hereby appropriated to pay the costs of the part of the administration of this title1 title ,,viii1 and title ,,xvi for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible an amount equal to #a4b percent of the sum of the amount of benefit payments required to be made under this title for the fiscal year involved and the amount of benefit payments expected to be paid under titles ,,viii and ,,xvi for the fiscal year involved1 as estimated by the ,chief ,actuary of the ,social ,security ,administration4 ,for purposes of the preceding sentence1 7,i7 the portion of the amount to be appropriated for a fiscal year that is attributable to benefit payments required to be made under this title shall be appropriated from the ,federal ,old-,age and ,survivors ,insurance ,trust ,fund and the ,federal ,disability ,insurance ,trust ,fund1 in such proportion as the ,commissioner of ,social ,security shall determine1 and 7,,ii7 the portion of the amount to be appropriated for a fiscal year that is attributable to benefit payments expected to be made under titles ,,viii and ,,xvi shall be appropriated from the general fund of the ,treasury4 ,for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year #bjbf1 there is hereby appropriated from the ,federal ,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund and the ,federal ,supplementary ,medical ,insurance ,trust ,fund1 in such proportion as the ,administrator of the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services shall determine1 such sums as are necessary to pay the costs of the part of the administration of title ,,xviii for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible44 7b7 ,removing the limitation on the administrative expenses of the ,social ,security ,administration from discretionary budget caps1 the ,congressional ,budget ,resolution1 the #cjb7;a7 allocations and the #cjb7;b7 suballocations 7#a7 ,exclusion of the administrative costs of ,social ,security1 ,,ssi1 and parts of ,medicare from all budgets ,section #accja7;a7 of the ,budget ,enforcement ,act of #aiij 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb note7 is amended to read as follows3 7a7 ,exclusion of the administrative costs of ,social ,security1 ,,ssi1 and parts of ,medicare from all budgets 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the receipts and disbursements described in paragraph 7#b7 and the costs of program integrity activities described in paragraph 7#c7 shall not be counted as new budget authority1 outlays1 receipts1 or deficit or surplus for purposes of-- 7,a7 the budget of the ,united ,states ,government as submitted by the ,president under section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,b7 a concurrent resolution on the budget2 7,c7 the ,balanced ,budget and ,emergency ,deficit ,control ,act of #aihe 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ijj et seq472 or 7,d7 the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ica et seq474 7#b7 ,receipts and disbursements covered ,the receipts and disbursements described in this paragraph are-- 7,a7 the receipts and disbursements of the ,federal ,old-,age and ,survivors ,trust ,fund and the ,federal ,disability ,insurance ,trust ,fund1 including the costs of the part of the administration of title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible2 and 7,b7 the receipts and disbursements from the ,federal ,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund1 the ,federal ,supplementary ,insurance ,trust ,fund1 and amounts appropriated for the ,supplemental ,security ,income program and for benefits paid to certain ,world ,war ,,ii veterans under title ,,viii of the ,social ,security ,act for the costs of the part of the administration of titles ,,viii1 ,,xvi1 and ,,xviii of such ,act for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible4 7#c7 ,program integrity activities ,the costs of program integrity activities described in this paragraph are costs associated with-- 7,a7 continuing disability reviews under titles ,,ii and ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act2 7,b7 conducting redeterminations of eligibility under title ,,xvi of such ,act2 7,c7 cooperative disability investigation units2 and 7,d7 the prosecution of fraud in the programs and operations of the ,social ,security ,administration by ,special ,assistant ,united ,states ,attorneys4 4 7#b7 ,exclusion of the administrative costs of ,social ,security1 ,,ssi1 and parts of ,medicare from the ,congressional ,budget ,resolution ,section #cja7;a7 of the ,congressional ,budget ,act of #aigd 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb7;a77 is amended by striking the matter following paragraph 7#g7 and inserting the following3 ,the concurrent resolution shall not include in the surplus or deficit totals required by this subsection or in any other surplus or deficit totals required by this title the outlays and revenue totals of the program under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act1 or the related provisions of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf1 including the costs of the part of the administration of such title ,,ii for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible or the costs of the part of the administration of titles ,,xvi and ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible4 4 7#c7 ,exclusion of the administrative costs of ,social ,security1 ,,ssi1 and parts of ,medicare from ,congressional ,budget ,act #cjb7;a7 allocations ,section #cjb7;a77#a7 of the ,congressional ,budget ,act of #aigd 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #fcc7;a77#a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,the allocation under this paragraph shall not include the outlays of the program under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act1 including the costs of the part of the administration of such title for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible1 or the outlays for the costs of the part of the administration of titles ,,xvi and ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible44 7#d7 ,exclusion of the administrative costs of ,social ,security1 ,,ssi1 and parts of ,medicare from the ,congressional ,budget ,act #cjb7;b7 suballocations ,section #cjb7;b7 of the ,congressional ,budget ,act of #aigd 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #fcc7;b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,the suballocation under this subsection shall not include the outlays of the program under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act1 including the costs of the part of the administration of such title for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible1 or the outlays for the costs of the part of the administration of titles ,,xvi and ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible44 7c7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section1 or the amendments made by this section1 shall be construed to reduce or eliminate the authority of the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate to oversee or direct outlays for the costs of the part of the administration under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act1 or the outlays for the costs of the part of the administration of titles ,,xvi and ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act1 for which the ,commissioner of ,social ,security is responsible4 7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this section shall take effect on ,october #a1 #bjbe4 #i4 ,additional funding to improve ,social ,security customer experience 7a7 ,in general ,there are appropriated to the ,commissioner of ,social ,security 7referred to in this section as the ,commissioner7 for the period of fiscal year #bjbf through fiscal year #bjce1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 #b1jjj1jjj1jjj1 to remain available until expended1 to be used by the ,commissioner for the following purposes3 7#a7 ,to conduct efforts to increase awareness of eligibility for supplemental security income benefits among families with children who may be eligible for such benefits1 with such efforts to be conducted throughout the ,united ,states to ensure families of children with disabilities have awareness of the program1 its eligibility standards1 and how to apply4 7#b7 ,to reduce the initial disability insurance benefit claims backlog and other disability insurance benefit workloads1 as well as backlogs and workloads relating to claims for benefits under title ,,ii or ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act which involve a disability determination 7including appeals71 including by directing resources and workload assistance to areas with the greatest need4 7#c7 ,maintaining1 expanding1 modernizing1 or enhancing the information technology capabilities and infrastructure of the ,social ,security ,administration1 while ensuring that delivery of benefits continues uninterrupted4 7#d7 ,increasing the menu of services that can be performed online1 including an application for benefits under title ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act4 7b7 ,reports to ,congress ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,commissioner shall submit to ,congress a report on the actions being undertaken by the ,social ,security ,administration to address the issues described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#d7 of subsection 7a74 #aj4 ,codification of former policy regarding recovery of ,social ,security overpayments 7a7 ,in general ,section #bjd7;a77#a77;,a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #djd7;a77#a77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,with respect to payment and inserting 7i7 ,subject to clause 7ii71 with respect to payment2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following new clause3 7ii7 7,i7 ,with respect to adjustment or recovery on account of an overpayment pursuant to clause 7i71 the amount of any monthly benefit payable to such person under this title shall be decreased by the ,commissioner of ,social ,security by an amount equal to the greater of-- 7aa7 #aj percent of such monthly benefit1 or 7bb7 #aj4 7,,ii7 ,subclause 7,i7 shall not apply in the case of a person who-- 7aa7 received payment of more than the correct amount as a result of fraud or similar fault 7as defined in section #bje7u77#b771 or 7bb7 elects to waive application of such subclause and requests that the ,commissioner of ,social ,security impose a greater decrease in the amount of monthly benefits payable to such person under this title than the amount otherwise determined under such subclause4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to overpayment determinations made on or after ,march #be1 #bjbd1 and to any other overpaid amounts that have not been recovered as of such date4 #aa4 ,state grants to protect the legal rights of ,,ssi and ,,ssdi applicants and beneficiaries ,title ,,xi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acja et seq47 is amended by inserting after section #aaej;,c the following new section3 #aaej;,d4 ,state grants to protect the legal rights of supplemental security and disability insurance applicants and beneficiaries 7a7 ,in general ,the ,commissioner may make payments in each ,state to the protection and advocacy system established pursuant to part ,c of title ,i of the ,developmental ,disabilities ,assistance and ,bill of ,rights ,act for the purpose of protecting the legal rights of beneficiaries with a disability4 7b7 ,services provided ,services provided to beneficiaries with a disability pursuant to a payment made under this section may include-- 7#a7 information and advice about accessing and applying for benefits under title ,,ii or title ,,xvi on the basis of a disability and appealing eligibility decisions with respect to such benefits2 7#b7 advocacy and other services that a beneficiary with a disability may need related to such benefits2 and 7#c7 services described in section #aaej7;b74 7c7 ,application ,in order to receive payments under this section1 a protection and advocacy system shall submit an application to the ,commissioner1 at such time1 in such form and manner1 and accompanied by such information and assurances as the ,commissioner may require4 7d7 ,amount of payments 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to the amount appropriated for a fiscal year for making payments under this section1 a protection and advocacy system shall not be paid an amount that is less than-- 7,a7 in the case of a protection and advocacy system located in one of the #ej ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 or ,puerto ,rico1 #bjj1jjj2 and 7,b7 in the case of a protection and advocacy system located in ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 or the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 #ajj1jjj4 7#b7 ,inflation adjustment ,for each fiscal year in which the total amount appropriated to carry out this section exceeds the total amount appropriated to carry out this section in the preceding fiscal year1 the ,commissioner shall increase each minimum payment under subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 of paragraph 7#a7 by a percentage equal to the percentage increase in the total amount so appropriated to carry out this section4 7e7 ,annual report ,each protection and advocacy system that receives a payment under this section shall submit an annual report to the ,commissioner on the services provided to individuals by the system4 7f7 ,funding 7#a7 ,allocation of payments ,payments under this section shall be made from amounts made available for the administration of title ,,ii and amounts made available for the administration of title ,,xvi1 and shall be allocated among those amounts as appropriate4 7#b7 ,carryover ,any amounts allotted for payment to a protection and advocacy system under this section for a fiscal year shall remain available for payment to or on behalf of the protection and advocacy system until the end of the succeeding fiscal year4 7g7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,beneficiary with a disability ,the term beneficiary with a disability means an individual who-- 7,a7 is a title ,,ii disability beneficiary or a title ,,xvi disability beneficiary 7as such terms are defined under section #aadh7k772 7,b7 is an applicant or prospective applicant for benefits under title ,,ii or title ,,xvi on the basis that such individual has a disability2 7,c7 is requesting a hearing under section #bba7;d7 or for an administrative review prior to such hearing2 or 7,d7 is filing a request for reinstatement of entitled under section #bbc7;i77#a77;,a74 7#b7 ,commissioner ,the term ,commissioner means the ,commissioner of ,social ,security4 7#c7 ,protection and advocacy system ,the term protection and advocacy system means a protection and advocacy system established pursuant to part ,c of title ,i of the ,developmental ,disabilities ,assistance and ,bill of ,rights ,act4 7h7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #be1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjcj4 4 #ab4 ,social ,security assistance and representation grants 7a7 ,in general ,for each fiscal year during the #e-year period beginning with fiscal year #bjbf1 the ,commissioner shall award not less than #aj grants under this section to community-based organizations for the purpose of assisting individuals with disabilities-- 7#a7 during the process of applying for benefits under title ,,ii or ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dja et seq41 #acha et seq47 on the basis of a disability2 7#b7 any appeals processes before the ,commissioner1 an administrative judge of the ,social ,security ,administration1 or a ,state ,disability ,determination ,services office2 and 7#c7 in accessing such benefits4 7b7 ,grant requirements 7#a7 ,duration and amount of grants ,a grant awarded to a community-based organization under this section-- 7,a7 shall be for an amount that is not less than #ejj1jjj2 and 7,b7 shall be for a period of #e years4 7#b7 ,use of funds ,grant funds shall only be used for a purpose described in subsection 7a74 7c7 ,application 7#a7 ,in general ,to receive a grant under this section1 a community-based organization shall submit an application to the ,commissioner1 at such time and in such form and manner and accompanied by such information and assurances as the ,commissioner may require4 7#b7 ,required information ,an application for a grant under this section shall include the following information3 7,a7 ,the region to be served by the applicant4 7,b7 ,a description of the needs of beneficiaries with a disability in such region4 7,c7 ,a description of services to be provided under such grant4 7,d7 ,the personnel that would provide such services4 7,e7 ,the applicant's plan for disseminating awareness of the services provided under the grant to beneficiaries with a disability in the region4 7#c7 ,memorandum of understanding ,an application for a grant under this section shall include a memorandum of understanding among any collaborating entities as to roles and allocation of grant funds for each collaborating agency4 7#d7 ,assurance of availability ,an application for a grant under this section shall include a commitment by the applicant that all services provided under the grant1 including information about such services1 shall be accessible to beneficiaries with a disability4 7d7 ,definitions 7#a7 ,beneficiary with a disability ,the term beneficiary with a disability has the meaning given such term in section #aaej;,d of the ,social ,security ,act 7as added by section #ad74 7#b7 ,commissioner ,the term ,commissioner means the ,commissioner of ,social ,security4 7#c7 ,community-based organization ,the term community-based organization means a non-profit agency or collaboration of non-profit agencies that-- 7,a7 serves a region of one or more ,states2 7,b7 includes-- 7i7 a legal team of lawyers licensed to practice in the ,state or ,states served by the organization2 7ii7 experts in disability benefits provided under title ,,ii and ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dja et seq41 #acha et seq471 including application1 and appeals procedures under such titles2 and 7iii7 individuals currently receiving benefits on the basis of a disability under such a title1 or who were beneficiaries under such a title on the basis of a disability within the past #e years2 and 7,c7 is overseen by a board or advisory group composed of at least #a_/c members who are current or former beneficiaries on the basis of a disability under title ,,ii or ,,xvi of the ,social ,security ,act4 7#d7 ,state ,the term ,state means the #ej ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 7e7 ,appropriation ,there is appropriated to the ,commissioner1 for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjcj1 #ae1jjj1jjj for the purpose of carrying out this section4 7f7 ,reports 7#a7 ,in general ,each community-based organization that receives a grant under this sections shall provide the ,commissioner with-- 7,a7 for each year of the grant period1 an annual report on the services provided2 and 7,b7 at the conclusion of the grant period1 a final report of activities provided under the grant4 7#b7 ,evaluation grant ,from the administrative funds of title ,,ii and title ,,xvi1 there shall be awarded an evaluation grant to an independent entity to evaluate the impact of the grants under this section4 ,the amount to be awarded to the evaluation entity shall be at least #ejj1jjj for each of the #e years of the grant period and at least #ejj1jjj for the #b years following the grant period4