SSI Restoration Act (H.R. 1601) Summary

This is a summary of the SSI Restoration Act, H.R. 1601, introduced by Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (Arizona). The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program funds foster care for children with disabilities and is an important source of support for children with disabilities in low income families. The Act would modernize and streamline eligibility rules that have not been updated since 1972 when President Nixon signed the law that created the program. Among other improvements, the Act would increase the resource limit to $10,000, which would bring it into alignment with the rule for federal foster care benefits. Congress raised the resource limit for foster care benefits to $10,000 in 1999 to allow youth aging out of foster to save money and prepare for their transition out of state care.