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<PRE>[DOCID: f:h509ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 509

 To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment 
 of severe spinal cord injury equivalent to the treatment of blindness 
 in determining whether earnings derived from services demonstrate an 
           ability to engage in substantial gainful activity.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2001

 Mrs. Mink of Hawaii introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment 
 of severe spinal cord injury equivalent to the treatment of blindness 
 in determining whether earnings derived from services demonstrate an 
           ability to engage in substantial gainful activity.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TREATMENT OF SEVERE SPINAL CORD INJURY EQUIVALENT TO 
              TREATMENT OF BLINDNESS IN DETERMINING SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL 
              ACTIVITY.

    Section 223(d)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
423(d)(4)(A)) is amended in the second sentence by inserting ``, or who 
has an impairment consisting of spinal cord injury which is alone of 
sufficient medical severity as to otherwise be the sole basis of 
eligibility under this section,'' after ``who is blind''.

SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by section 1 shall apply with respect to 
determinations (of whether an individual is able to engage in 
substantial gainful activity) made after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. Benefits which would not be payable but for such amendment 
shall be payable solely for months beginning after 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 &lt;all&gt;

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