Sec. 3. Improving Social Security Administration services
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Each field office of the Social Security Administration (referred to in this section as an office ) shall be required to provide services necessary for— until August 1, 2015, Social Security number printout services; and until October 1, 2015, benefit verification letter services. The Commissioner of Social Security (referred to in this Act as the Commissioner ) shall conduct an outreach campaign to notify Social Security beneficiaries and other interested parties (including State departments of motor vehicles, the Internal Revenue Service, State and Federal housing assistance agencies, and other State and Federal agencies that provide need-based assistance) of— plans to phase out— Social Security number printout services; or benefit verification letter services at offices; and the online availability of the services described in subparagraph (A).
Each office that ceases to offer, or reduces the availability of, the services described in paragraph (1)(A) shall provide notice to key local organizations whose members or patrons may be affected by such cessation or reduction, including— employee placement organizations; housing assistance organizations; organizations that assist with the administration of need-based government benefits; income tax preparers; and banks and other financial institutions. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall establish a system providing live-chat assistance for online users of the website of the Social Security Administration.
Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall submit a report to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that describes— the Commissioner's progress in implementing the live-chat assistance system described in paragraph (1); and other measures that the Commissioner has taken to notify users of the website of the Social Security Administration of the availability of live-chat assistance and the circumstances in which the use of such assistance may be advisable.
Section 205 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 405 ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: In any case where the Social Security Administration (referred to in this subsection as the Administration ) charges a fee for a service offered by the Administration, either online or at a field office of the Administration, the Commissioner of Social Security shall establish a process whereby an eligible individual (as defined in paragraph (2)) may apply for a reduction or waiver of such fee.
For purposes of paragraph (1), an eligible individual is an individual whose annual income does not exceed the Federal poverty threshold applicable to the family size involved (as determined by the Bureau of the Census). The Commissioner of Social Security shall provide timely notice to an individual who makes an application under paragraph
(1)of the approval or denial of such application. . The amendment made by paragraph
(1)shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall submit a report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate describing the Administration's long-term strategy for service delivery, including— the Social Security Administration's strategy for providing face-to-face services to a growing population of elderly individuals; and recommendations for reforming the process by which offices are selected for closure.
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Sec. 3
Improving Social Security Administration services
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