Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 97.djvu/137

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PUBLIC LAW 98-21 —APR. 20, 1983 97 STAT. 105 Fund, from amounts in the general fund of the Treasury not other- wise appropriated, or from such Trust Fund to the general fund of the Treasury, such amounts as the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies as necessary to take into account such revision. ACCOUNTING FOR CERTAIN UNNEGOTIATED CHECKS FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM SEC. 152. (a) Section 201 of the Social Security Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(m)(l) The Secretary of the Treasury shall implement procedures to permit the identification of each check issued for benefits under this title that has not been presented for payment by the close of the sixth month following the month of its issuance. "(2) The Secretary of the Treasury shall, on a monthly basis, credit each of the Trust Funds for the amount of all benefit checks (including interest thereon) drawn on such Trust Fund more than 6 months previously but not presented for payment and not pre- viously credited to such Trust Fund, to the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts. "(3) If a benefit check is presented for payment to the Treasury and the amount thereof has been previously credited pursuant to paragraph (2) to one of the Trust Funds, the Secretary of the Treasury shall nevertheless pay such check, if otherwise proper, recharge such Trust Fund, and notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services. "(4) A benefit check bearing a current date may be issued to an individual who did not negotiate the original benefit check and who surrenders such check for cancellation if the Secretary of the Treas- ury determines it is necessary to effect proper payment of benefits.". (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to all checks for benefits under title II of the Social Security Act which are issued on or after the first day of the twenty-fourth month following the month in which this Act is enacted. (c)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the general fund of the Treasury to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and to the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, in the month following the month in which this Act is enacted and in each of the succeeding 30 months, such sums as may be necessary to reimburse such Trust Funds in the total amount of all checks (including interest thereof) which he and the Secretary of Health and Human Services jointly determine to be unnegotiated benefit checks, to the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts. After any amounts authorized by this subsection have been transferred to a Trust Fund with respect to any benefit check, the provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 201(m) of the Social Security Act (as added by subsection (a) of this section) shall be applicable to such check. (2) As used in paragraph (1), the term "unnegotiated benefit checks" means checks for benefits under title II of the Social Security Act which are issued prior to the twenty-fourth month following the month in which this Act is enacted, which remain unnegotiated after the sixth month following the date on which they were issued, and with respect to which no transfers have previously been made in accordance with the first sentence of such paragraph. 42 USC 401. Effective date. 42 USC 401 note. 42 USC 401. Transfers from general Treasury fund. 42 USC 401 note. "Unnegotiated benefit checks."