May 14, 2019

Appropriations Bill Moves Forward With Many Directives For Social Security

     The House Appropriations Committee has reported out the bill that includes the appropriation for the Social Security Administration's operations. As expected, it includes a $300 million increase for Social Security. This is barely enough to keep up with inflation. The Senate bill is likely to be worse for Social Security.
     As usual, the Committee report on the bill includes a number of directives for the agency, which start at page 228 of the report. This year's bill includes a high number of these directives. Here's a list:
  • Prepare report within 60 days on Administrative Law Judge selection;
  • Include more information in Beneficiary Verification letters;
  • Prepare report on negotiations with employee unions;
  • Encourage proper consideration of headache disorders in determination of disability;
  • Prepare update for Committee on agency's information technology modernization;
  • Brief Committee on mailing paper statements;
  • Prepare report on utilization of Social Security programs by persons suffering from muscular dystrophy;
  • Prepare report on occupational information system project;
  • Prepare proper research designs for all pilot projects and prepare a report on all such pilots;
  • Prepare report within 180 days on improving Disability Determination Services process, including addressing the role of the reconsideration stage;
  • Stop the proposal to charge fees for replacement Social Security cards;
  • Stop pursuing the plan to consider social media postings in determining disability;
  • Strongly urges agency to not proceed with plan for mandatory video hearings;
  • Provide report within 90 days on strengthening vocational expert program;
  • Strongly urges agency to not go forward with proposed regulations that would eliminate inability to communicate in English as factor in determining disability.
     One thing that didn't make this long list is a directive to strongly consider increasing the cap on fees that attorneys and others can charge for representing Social Security claimants.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I noticed the first directive was to "Prepare report within 60 days on Administrative Law Judge selection;...."

Does anyone know how SSA is planning to hire new ALJ? ALJs are still retiring and not currently being replaced.

Anonymous said...

Although I find it kind of sad that Congress has to get to the level of micromanaging the management at SSA, I am quite pleased to see that someone is paying attention and is giving at least some direction on an operational level. Not having a confirmed Commissioner has created a very real lacking of direction and in some cases good sense to the practices in the agency. If we never have to mull through another 'shot-gun' type pilot where we just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks to determine our next action, it will be a huge savings of money and other resources.

Anonymous said...

Yep, there is a whole online discussion board devoted to that topic. SSA plans at least 35 new ALJs this year.

Anonymous said...

Hey 1:57

Do you have a link to the discussion board?

Anonymous said...

@2:26

I'm guessing it's the ALJ Discussion Forum that appears first under the links Charles provided over on the right under the "New SSA Hiring Plans" thread.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see they want to scrap that social media stuff and will not go forward with that change about the inability to speak English.
I represented a woman years ago who only spoke Spanish, but she was born in the US and lived in the country in Mississippi.

Anonymous said...

These are proposals by the house, it does not mean the SSA will go along with it.