John Shaw: “This afternoon I am pleased to present to the House for its consideration the Social Security Protection Act of 2003…”

“This afternoon I am pleased to present to the House for its consideration the Social Security Protection Act of 2003, which is bipartisan legislation that fights fraud and abuse in Social Security programs. First, this bill protects nearly 8 million beneficiaries who cannot manage their own affairs and rely on representative payees appointed by the Social Security Administration. It does this by raising payee standards and by imposing stricter penalties on those who mismanage the benefits they are entrusted to administer. Second, this bill denies Social Security benefits to fugitive felons and probation and parole violators. Third, the Protection Act provides tools to further safeguard Social Security programs including new civil monetary penalties. Finally, this bill helps people with disabilities by giving greater access to legal representation when applying for benefits by improving work incentive programs and by expanding eligibility for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to encourage more employers to hire individuals with disabilities.”