Katrina and Leslie Schaller Act
The Katrina and Leslie Schaller Act would extend the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program to Guam. It achieves this by amending several provisions of the Social Security Act and related laws to treat Guam similarly to states for SSI and related programs, remove existing payment caps for Guam under certain programs, and give the Social Security Commissioner authority to waive or tailor SSI requirements in Guam. The changes would take effect on the first day of the first federal fiscal year that begins at least one year after enactment. In practical terms, qualifying residents of Guam who are aged, blind, or disabled and have low income or limited resources would become eligible for federal SSI benefits, subject to the program’s rules.
Key Points
- 1Extends SSI to Guam by amending the relevant SSI-related provisions to include Guam as an eligible jurisdiction.
- 2Conforming amendments to broaden Guam’s treatment in related program definitions, aiming to align Guam with the United States for purposes of certain social programs.
- 3Eliminates or relaxes limits on total payments to Guam under certain programs, removing prior caps that restricted funding in Guam.
- 4Expands the geographic meaning of “United States” under the SSI program to explicitly include Guam (along with existing areas like the District of Columbia).
- 5Provides the Commissioner of Social Security with waiver or modification authority to adapt SSI requirements in Guam to meet local needs.
- 6Effective date set for the first fiscal year beginning at least one year after enactment.