Sponsors (2)
The bill increases SSI access and monthly support for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (particularly married individuals) but does so at modest additional federal cost and with some expected administrative and state-level transition burdens.
Adults (18+) with intellectual or developmental disabilities — including those who are married — will be able to qualify for SSI based on their own income and resources, and married beneficiaries will no longer have their spouse's income/resources counted against them, increasing monthly benefits and eligibility for many.
State and federal administrators and beneficiaries will have a clear implementation timeline because the change is delayed until more than 180 days after enactment, giving SSA time to update procedures and giving eligible people time to apply.
Taxpayers — federal expenditures for SSI will increase modestly due to expanded eligibility and higher benefit payments.
People with disabilities and some married couples may face transitional confusion and administrative complexity when applying under the new spouse-income disregards, requiring SSA outreach and case-by-case adjustments.
State governments and low-income individuals may need to adjust how state programs coordinate with SSI eligibility (and states may face budget or administrative impacts) because some state benefits are tied to SSI determinations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 13, 2025 by Jerry Moran · Last progress January 13, 2025
Creates a new SSI eligibility category for adults (18+) with an intellectual or developmental disability and treats them as single for SSI payment and eligibility calculations. Spouse income and resources are ignored for these beneficiaries, so marriage will not reduce their SSI benefit amount. Benefits under this rule begin for months payable more than 180 days after enactment.