Social Security Legislative Bulletin

Number: 111- 63
Date: December 10, 2010

On December 8, 2010, the President signed into law H.R. 4783, the “Claims Resettlement Act of 2010,” which became Public Law 111-291.  The new law contains a provision of interest as described below (and as previously described in Legislative Bulletin 111-60).
 
Provision of interest to SSA:

Settlement Payments to American Indians

• Ratifies a class-action lawsuit settlement (Cobell et al. v. Salazar et al.) that determined the United States had mismanaged American Indian assets for generations.  Under the terms of the settlement, Indian landowners who had monies held in these mismanaged trust accounts are eligible for settlement payments.

• Excludes these settlement payments from consideration as income (in the month received) or as a resource (for a period of one year beginning with the month of receipt) for Federal or federally-assisted program purposes, including SSI.

• Provision is effective upon enactment.

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