GovTrack’s Bill Summary
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H.R. 6200 (111th): WIPA and PABSS Extension Act of 2010
- Introduced:
- Sep 23, 2010 (111th Congress, 2009–2010)
- Sponsor:
- Rep. Earl Pomeroy [D-ND0]
- Status:
- Signed by the President
- Slip Law:
- This bill became Pub.L. 111-280.
The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.
Library of Congress Summary
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.
10/13/2010. Amends part A of title XI of the Social Security Act to extend through FY2011 the authorization of appropriations for the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program and the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Program. Requires each entity awarded a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under the WIPA Program to report annually to the Commissioner of Social Security on the benefits planning and assistance provided to individuals under such grant, agreement, or contract. Requires up to 10% of the total amount obligated through a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract awarded under the WIPA Program for a fiscal year to a state, private agency, or organization to remain available until the end of the succeeding fiscal year. Limits the extended availability of such amount, however, to benefits planning and assistance only for individuals who are within the grant, agreement, or contract recipient's caseload as of immediately before the beginning of such fiscal year.
House Republican Conference Summary
The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.
This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/111/2/hr6200.
Background
The following background information was provided by the Republican Staff on the Ways and Mean’s Social Security Subcommittee:
Authorization for the WIPA and PABSS programs was signed into law on December 17, 1999. This Act established the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program, expanded the availability of health care coverage for the disabled, and authorized several demonstration projects and studies. The Ticket to Work Program, administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), allows Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability recipients to obtain rehabilitation and vocational services that provide enhanced opportunities for those who wish to work.
WIPA
The WIPA program funds community-based organizations that assist beneficiaries in understanding the SSA’s complex work incentives policies and the effect that employment has on their benefits. There are currently 103 community-based cooperative agreements that ensure the availability of WIPA programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. These include 614 Community Work Incentives Coordinators (many subsidized by other funding sources) and 212 community partners. The SSA has contracted with Virginia Commonwealth University to provide all technical assistance and training on the SSA's disability programs and work incentives, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other federal work incentives programs. Since the program was created in 1999, authorization for WIPA funding has remained at $23 million. In 2009, 37,406 beneficiaries received WIPA services.
An independent assessment of the WIPA program conducted by Mathematica Policy Research is in progress. Based on their most recent data covering the 6-month period ending in March of this year, WIPAs are focusing services on beneficiary employment and are encouraging enrollees to increase employment. For example, 29 percent of WIPA enrollees were working when they first contacted a WIPA, 40 percent of WIPA enrollees were actively looking for work and 6 percent of WIPA enrollees had a job offer pending. Satisfaction surveys show 9 out of 10 respondents rated services as excellent, very good, or good.
PABSS
The PABSS program is a protection and advocacy program designed to complement and supplement existing programs. Beneficiaries approach PABSS offices with concerns related to employment or employment effects on benefits. In FY 2009, 8,603 beneficiaries received PABSS services. The authorized funding of $7 million (which has remained constant since the program was created) provides resources for 57 grant programs which cover all 50 states and territories.
Summary
The bill would provide a one year extension of the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security programs (PABSS). The authorization for both programs will expire on September 30, 2010. Currently, funding for WIPA will end in June 2011 and funding for PABSS will end in February 2011.
Cost
There is currently no CBO score for H.R. 6200.
House Democratic Caucus Summary
The House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.
So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference’s summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That’s because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.
We’ll be looking for a source of summaries from the other side in the meanwhile.
The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:
United States Code
The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)
- Title 42: THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
- Chapter 7: SOCIAL SECURITY
- Subchapter XI: GENERAL PROVISIONS, PEER REVIEW, AND ADMINISTRATIVE SIMPLIFICATION
- Part A: General Provisions
- Section 1320b-20: Work incentives outreach program
- Section 1320b-21: State grants for work incentives assistance to disabled beneficiaries