text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``SSI Outreach Act of 1993''.
  
  SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
              (1) many individuals, including senior citizens, homeless 
          individuals, children, and disabled individuals, face 
          extraordinary difficulties in securing benefits under the 
          Social Security Act, the Food Stamp Act of 1977, and other 
          Federal programs, to which they are otherwise entitled;
              (2) without the benefits under such programs these 
          individuals, lacking any resources, are unable to secure other 
          vital necessities;
              (3) many barriers exist that prevent potentially eligible 
          individuals from securing benefits under such programs, 
          including--
                      (A) communication barriers such as illiteracy in 
                  English or a foreign language and sensory impairments;
                      (B) disabilities which limit mobility and 
                  connections to social services organizations;
                      (C) homelessness often coupled with mental illness, 
                  drug addiction, or alcoholism;
                      (D) distrust or fear of government bureaucracy;
                      (E) concern that eligibility will preclude future 
                  work attempts;
                      (F) lack of transportation;
                      (G) lack of access to a telephone;
                      (H) lack of an understanding of how to contact 
                  Social Security Administration field offices;
                      (I) lack of any connections to social service 
                  organizations; and
                      (J) cognitive or other mental impairments which 
                  limit a person's ability to understand benefits, 
                  rights, or procedures.
      (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to overcome the 
  barriers to securing benefits under the Social Security Act and the 
  Food Stamp Act of 1977 faced by many homeless individuals and other 
  hard to reach populations by establishing an office in the Social 
  Security Administration which will be responsible for coordinating 
  outreach activities and services, including an outreach grant program. 
  The grant program will help establish innovative approaches to identify 
  individuals potentially eligible for such benefits and to aid such 
  individuals in the application process for such benefits.
  
  SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF OUTREACH COORDINATION.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
  (hereafter referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall, within 
  180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish within 
  the Social Security Administration an Office of Outreach Coordination, 
  to be administered by a Director of Outreach Coordination (hereafter in 
  this section referred to as the ``Director'') who shall be appointed by 
  the Commissioner of Social Security.
      (b) Duties of the Director.--The Director shall--
              (1) administer the grant program established under section 
          4 and provide technical assistance to the entities receiving 
          grants under such section;
              (2) formulate and provide information and technical 
          assistance to Social Security Administration field offices 
          regarding--
                      (A) outreach policies and methods; and
                      (B) local outreach activities and services; and
              (3) implement the requirements of section 1635 of the 
          Social Security Act.
  
  SEC. 4. GRANTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR 
                OUTREACH.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, through the Office of 
  Outreach Coordination in the Social Security Administration 
  (established under section 3), provide grants to local governments and 
  nonprofit organizations submitting applications to the Secretary under 
  this section, to conduct outreach activities and services targeted at 
  homeless individuals and other hard to reach populations, as determined 
  appropriate by the Secretary.
      (b) Grant Criteria.--The Secretary shall provide grants under this 
  section only to entities that demonstrate to the Secretary that the 
  entities--
              (1) have experience with low-income people;
              (2) have, in the case of entities applying for grants to 
          work with a specific hard to reach population, sufficient 
          experience in working with such population, including--
                      (A) knowledge of the community in which such 
                  population lives; and
                      (B) proficiency in any applicable foreign language;
              (3) are able to conduct outreach activities and services 
          appropriate to the targeted hard to reach population, 
          including--
                      (A) regular visits to places frequented by homeless 
                  individuals, including soup kitchens, homeless 
                  shelters, street sites, and day centers;
                      (B) the provision of information to individuals and 
                  organizations regarding eligibility for benefits under 
                  the Social Security Act and the Food Stamp Act of 1977, 
                  and provision of applications to apply for benefits 
                  under such programs;
                      (C) the provision of assistance to individuals in 
                  completing applications to establish eligibility for 
                  benefits under the Social Security Act and benefits 
                  under the Food Stamp Act of 1977; and
                      (D) the provision of assistance to individuals with 
                  respect to--
                              (i) obtaining appointments for any medical 
                          examination required in order to obtain 
                          benefits for which such individuals may be 
                          eligible under the Social Security Act so that 
                          all such examinations take place within 2 weeks 
                          after submission of the application for 
                          benefits under such Act;
                              (ii) obtaining and developing evidence of 
                          disability and supporting documentation for 
                          nondisability-related eligibility requirements 
                          under the Social Security Act; and
                              (iii) other matters relevant to obtaining 
                          benefits under the Social Security Act, 
                          including arranging transportation, and where 
                          appropriate, arranging for persons to accompany 
                          applicants to any necessary medical 
                          examinations; and
              (4) are able to meet such further requirements as the 
          Secretary determines to be appropriate to carry out the 
          purposes of this section.
      (c) Assistance to Applicants and Beneficiaries Who Are Homeless 
  Individuals In Obtaining Needed Goods and Services.--An entity that 
  receives a grant under this section to conduct outreach activities to 
  homeless individuals may use some of the funds received under the grant 
  to assist homeless individuals in gaining access to appropriate 
  services in the community, including permanent housing assistance, 
  nutrition, physical and mental health care, and case management 
  services.
      (d) Reporting Requirements.--The Secretary shall provide that each 
  entity receiving grants under this section shall be required to prepare 
  and submit to the Office of Outreach Coordination an annual report on 
  the use of grant funds and on the activities of the entity undertaken 
  to carry out the purposes of this section.
      (e) Grant Funds.--In order to provide for grants under this 
  section, the Secretary shall set aside and utilize no less than .37 
  percent of the amounts available on an annual basis for the 
  administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration.
      (f) Administrative Provisions.--The Secretary shall--
              (1) promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to 
          carry out this section within 240 days after the date of the 
          enactment of this Act;
              (2) notify local governments and nonprofit organizations of 
          the availability of grant funds under this section within 270 
          days after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
              (3) begin to award grants under this section as described 
          in subsection (a) within 360 days after the date of the 
          enactment of this Act and annually thereafter.
  
  SEC. 5. SPECIAL PROCEDURES RELATING TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
  
      (a) Expedited Consideration of Applications.--Within 240 days after 
  the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate 
  regulations to ensure that, in determining disability for purposes of 
  awarding benefits under the Social Security Act, priority consideration 
  shall be given to applications received from homeless individuals.
      (b) Assistance in Filing Documents for Appeal and in Seeking 
  Representation.--If the Secretary issues a decision to deny, suspend, 
  reduce, or terminate benefits under the Social Security Act to a 
  homeless individual, the Secretary shall take affirmative steps to 
  locate the individual and--
              (1) inform the individual of the importance of appealing 
          such decision; and
              (2) if the individual indicates a desire to file such an 
          appeal, assist the individual in filing the necessary forms.
      (c) Procedure Governing the Potential Denial or Suspension of 
  Benefits for a Homeless Individual.--
              (1) Determination.--Before the Secretary decides to deny, 
          reduce, suspend, or terminate benefits under the Social 
          Security Act to a homeless individual on the grounds that the 
          individual must provide additional information before 
          receiving, or continuing to receive, such benefits, the 
          Secretary shall determine whether the individual is likely to 
          have difficulty in responding to the request due to--
                      (A) a mental or physical impairment;
                      (B) advanced age;
                      (C) inability to communicate in English;
                      (D) lack of transportation;
                      (E) lack of a fixed address; or
                      (F) any other comparable limitation.
              (2) Action.--If the Secretary determines that an individual 
          has one of the limitations described in paragraph (1), the 
          Secretary shall--
                      (A) take affirmative steps to locate the individual 
                  and assist the individual in filing an appeal from an 
                  adverse decision regarding such benefits, and in 
                  securing the evidence required to establish eligibility 
                  for, or to restore, such benefits; and
                      (B) try to contact the individual by telephone and, 
                  if unsuccessful, make a personal visit to the last 
                  known address of the individual, contact individuals in 
                  the neighborhood, friends, or the post office, of the 
                  individual, and, to assist in these efforts, contact 
                  social agencies, shelters, soup kitchens, and any other 
                  agencies that provide services to homeless individuals.
              (3) Restoration of benefits.--If the efforts described in 
          subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) are unsuccessful, 
          and such benefits are denied, suspended, reduced, or 
          terminated, and the individual within 12 months of such denial, 
          suspension, reduction, or termination contacts the Social 
          Security Administration with the necessary information to seek 
          restoration of benefits, the Secretary shall--
                      (A) immediately resume payment of such benefits; 
                  and
                      (B) from funds retained in the local office 
                  accounts, pay the benefits of the individual for the 
                  current month and for subsequent months until regular 
                  monthly payments of benefits resume.
      (d) Regulations on Presumptive Disability.--Within 60 days after 
  the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate 
  regulations to ensure that presumptive disability payments made under 
  section 1631(a)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act and emergency advance 
  payments made under section 1631(a)(4)(B) of such Act are fully 
  available to homeless individuals.
  
  SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
  
      (a) Evaluations.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall prepare an evaluation 
          of the activities carried out under this Act.
              (2) Criteria.--At a minimum, the criteria used by the 
          Secretary in evaluating such activities shall--
                      (A) fully take into account the special 
                  circumstances of the individuals reached through the 
                  outreach activities conducted under this Act and the 
                  need of such individuals for personalized attention and 
                  follow-through assistance; and
                      (B) emphasize the extent to which--
                              (i) the procedures used to carry out the 
                          outreach activities take into account such 
                          circumstances; and
                              (ii) the assistance made available to such 
                          individuals through such activities meets such 
                          need.
      (b) Reports.--Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary 
  shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a full and 
  complete report containing the evaluation described in subsection (a) 
  and such recommendations for additional legislative or regulatory 
  action as the Secretary may determine to be appropriate.
  
  SEC. 7. DEFINITION.
  
      For purposes of this Act, the term ``homeless individual'' means 
  any individual--
              (1) who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime 
          residence; or
              (2) whose primary nighttime residence is--
                      (A) a supervised publicly or privately operated 
                  shelter designed to provide temporary living 
                  accommodations (including a welfare hotel, a congregate 
                  shelter, and transitional housing for the mentally 
                  ill);
                      (B) an institution that provides a temporary 
                  residence for individuals intended to be 
                  institutionalized; or
                      (C) a public or private place not designed for, or 
                  ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation 
                  for human beings.
target: SSI Outreach Act of 1993 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Social Security Administration an Office of Outreach Coordination to:  (1) administer a program under which the Secretary provides grants and technical assistance to local governments and nonprofit organizations for outreach activities and services targeted at obtaining various assistance for homeless individuals and other hard to reach populations; (2) formulate and provide information and technical assistance to Social Security Administration field offices regarding outreach policies and methods and local outreach activities and services; and (3) implement the requirements of title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act relating to the outreach program for children. 
  Sets forth special rules governing the provision of social security benefits to homeless individuals.
feat_title: SSI Outreach Act of 1993