Sponsor
James Moylan
Representative · R-GU
Representative · R-GU
The bill extends full SSI benefits to eligible Guam residents—boosting income support for seniors and people with disabilities there—while imposing modest additional federal costs and some administrative complexity during implementation.
Low-income residents of Guam (including seniors and people with disabilities) become eligible for full federal SSI benefits, increasing monthly income and reducing poverty risk.
Guam is removed from prior territorial SSI payment caps, allowing recipients there to receive full federal SSI benefit amounts rather than constrained payments.
The Commissioner is given waiver authority to adapt SSI rules to Guam's unique circumstances, which should smooth implementation and improve timely access for eligible residents.
Extending SSI to Guam increases federal spending and therefore raises costs borne by taxpayers (though the fiscal impact is limited by the territory's population size).
Administering SSI in Guam may raise administrative complexity and costs and could delay benefit receipt for eligible residents during implementation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Extends SSI eligibility and benefit rules to Guam and grants SSA waiver authority to adapt SSI rules for Guam.
Official title: To extend the supplemental security income program to Guam, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by James Moylan · Last progress January 31, 2025
Extends Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility and benefit rules to Guam by amending the Social Security Act and related 1972 amendments, and gives the Social Security Administration (SSA) commissioner limited waiver authority to adapt SSI rules for Guam. Changes remove prior statutory exclusions and territorial payment limits that had kept Guam out of SSI, and set the effective date as the first day of the first federal fiscal year beginning one year or more after enactment.