This bill retroactively eliminates the waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for certain individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Under current law, most SSDI recipients must wait five months after becoming disabled before their benefit payments may begin. The ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 eliminated the waiting period for individuals with ALS but only covers individuals who apply for benefits after the date of enactment (December 20, 2020). As a result, individuals with ALS who applied for SSDI benefits in the five months before that date are still subject to the waiting period. This bill eliminates the waiting period for those individuals.
To make a technical correction to the ALS Disability Insurance Access 
                              Act of 2019.

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

SECTION 1. RETROACTIVE ACCESS TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS 
              INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS).

    (a) In General.--Section 2(b) of the ALS Disability Insurance 
Access Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-250) is amended by striking 
``applications for disability insurance benefits filed after the date 
of enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``applications for disability 
insurance benefits approved after the date that is 5 months before the 
date of enactment of this Act''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall take 
effect as if included in the enactment of the ALS Disability Insurance 
Access Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-250).
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To make a technical correction to the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019.
To make a technical correction to the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019.
Official Titles - House of Representatives
Official Title as Introduced
To make a technical correction to the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019.
Rep. Moulton, Seth