LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to remove the penalty associated with being a married individual
with a disability receiving supplemental security income benefits

WHEREAS, In the past, individuals with disabilities were not expected to
fully participate as equal members of their communities; and
WHEREAS, In the past, individuals with disabilities were not perceived
as capable of developing loving relationships with others; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with disabilities have the same need as people
without disabilities to develop and maintain permanent loving relation-
ships; and
WHEREAS, Many individuals with disabilities hold religious and moral
beliefs that preclude them from living together as husband and wife
without being married; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with disabilities want to marry and live as full
members of their communities; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with disabilities often depend on supplemental
security income from federal social security and other governmental
benefits for meeting their basic living requirements; and
WHEREAS, Social security law places strict limits on the amount of
resources that individuals with disabilities are allowed to hold; and
WHEREAS, When two individuals with disabilities, each receiving
supplemental security income get married, social security laws require
that one of those individuals receive a reduced supplemental security
income benefit as a marriage penalty; and
WHEREAS, Two unmarried individuals with disabilities living in the
same residence each receive the full federal benefit rate; and
WHEREAS, Of the three major public income assistance programs, tempo-
rary assistance for needy families, food stamps and supplemental securi-
ty income, supplemental security income is the only one to use marital
status in determining the amount of an individual's benefit; now, there-
fore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to remove
the penalty associated with being a married individual with a disability
receiving supplemental security income benefits; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
New York.