Number:        117-3   
Date:             March 24, 2021

President Signs S. 579, a technical correction to
the “ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019”

On March 23, 2021, the President signed S. 579, which became Public Law 117-3. The law previously passed the Senate on March 3 and the House on March 11, both by Unanimous Consent. The law makes a technical correction to P.L. 116-250, the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019, which eliminated the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who applied on or after December 23, 2020. The technical correction changes the criteria for the elimination of the five-month waiting period to individuals with ALS who were approved for benefits “after the date that is 5 months before the date of enactment.”

NOTE: the original law eliminated the five-month waiting period for individuals with ALS who applied for benefits on or after December 23, 2020, whereas this amendment eliminates the five-month waiting period for individuals with ALS who were approved for benefits on or after July 23, 2020.

The law immediately amends the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 and has an effective date of December 23, 2020.