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June 2018Vol. 19, No. 5Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018

On April 13, 2018, the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-165) was signed in to law. The act amends information-sharing and overpayment liability requirements of child welfare agencies under the Supplemental Security Income program and the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program. P.L. 115-165 requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to establish a monthly data exchange between SSA and state foster care agencies to identify beneficiaries with payees whose foster care arrangements have changed (i.e., the child entered foster care, exited foster care, or changed foster care placement in a given month) so SSA can redetermine the payee. It also clarifies that state payees for minors in foster care are responsible for repaying overpayments incurred while the state acted as payee. This provision is effective for determinations made on or after April 13, 2018, and for amounts unrecovered as of enactment. For purposes of this clarification on liability for overpayment, "minor" refers to a child as defined for purposes of section 475(8) of the Social Security Act.  

For additional information and questions about P.L. 115-165, please refer to the SSA Legislative Bulletin. Title IV-E agencies building a Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) may be able to add this data exchange as an optional interface. Contact your Children's Bureau federal systems analyst (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/state-tribe-assignments) for more information on CCWIS.