Number:104-23
Date: May 1, 1996

THE PRESIDENT SIGNS H.R. 3019 (P.L. 104-134)
THE OMNIBUS CONSOLIDATED RESCISSIONS
AND APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1996

 

On Friday, April 26, 1996, the President signed legislation providing appropr iations for the remainder of FY 1996 for agencies and departments (including the Social Security Administration) which had not had regular appropriation bills enacted. While Office of Budget will provide details on SSA' s appropriations, note that the legislation provides additional funding for processing continuing disability reviews in FY 1996 as authorized by the Contract With America Advancement Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-121); see Legislative Bulletin 104-22.

Beyond appropriations, the legislation includes the following provision s of interest:

  • DEBT COLLECTION

Requires the Attorney General to develop a number of local and regional pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of alternative systems for verifying: (1) eligibility for employment in the U.S.; and (2) immigration status for purposes of eligibility for benefits under public assistance and other Government benefit programs. Projects are to begin within 6 months of the date of enactment and terminate within 4 years after the date of enactment.

  • ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER (EFT)

Requires recurring Federal payments, including Social Security and SSI benefits, to persons who begin to receive them after July 1996 to be paid by EFT. However, the head of each agency can waive the requirement for recipients who certify that they do not have a bank account or payment agent.

All recurring Federal payments made after January 1, 1999, will be made by EFT , except that the Secretary of the Treasury may waive the requirement in certain circumstances.