THIS MONTH IN SOCIAL SECURITY HISTORY

March 1, 1935 Congressman Frank Buck (Calif.) made the motion to change the name of the Economic Security Bill to the Social Security Bill. The motion was carried by a voice vote from the House Ways and Means Committee.

March 11, 1937 The Social Security Board announced approval of eight lump-sum payments since the inauguration of the Social Security Act's old-age benefits program began on January 1.

March 1, 1938 John J. Corson was named Acting Director of the Bureau of Old-Age Insurance. He succeeded Leroy Hodges, who resigned as of February 28, 1938.

March 3, 1942 The Social Security Board delegated to the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance responsibility for administering a temporary system to provide monthly benefit payments to dependents residing in continental United States or civilians affected by enemy action occurring outside the continental United States.

March 20, 1942 The Social Security Board certified the first civilian war benefits-chiefly for dependents of workers on Guam and Wake Island.

March 26, 1943 The first disability payment under the Civilian War Benefits Program was made to a civilian defense worker.

March 1955 The Bureau of Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance made its first disability determinations.

March 12, 1956 The new IBM 705 computer is officially turned over to SSA.

March 13, 1959 The Committee on Ways and Means established the Subcommittee on Administration of the Social Security Laws under the chairmanship of Congressman Burr P. Harrison of Virginia. The committee's purpose was to review the disability program.

March 11, 1960 The Harrison Committee issued a preliminary report.

March 6, 1966 President Johnson signed a proclamation designating March 1966 as "National Medicare Enrollment Month."

March 10, 1970 President Nixon signed the bill making the Federal Credit Unions (formerly part of the Social Security Administration) an independent agency, the National Credit Union Administration.

March 7, 1973 Commissioner Robert M. Ball retired from the Social Security Administration.

March 8, 1977 The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was reorganized. Social and Rehabilitation Service was abolished. Aid to Families with Dependent Children, an element under the Assistance Payments Administration, became part of the Social Security Administration. SSA also was given responsibility for the Repatriation Program, Cuban Refugee and Indo-Chinese Refugee programs, and the Office of Child Support Enforcement. The Bureau of Health Insurance (Medicare) was moved out of SSA and became part of a new Health Care Financing Administration.

March 2, 1982 Richard S. Schweiker, Secretary HHS, announced that the Social Security Administration will allocate $470 million over the next five years to modernize its data processing system.

March 2, 1994 President Clinton appoints Alan "Scotty" Campbell as Chairman of the Congressional Commission on the Notch.

March 31, 1995 The Social Security Administration became an independent agency.

March 29, 1996 President Clinton signs H.R. 3136 into law, dramatically raising the earnings limits under the Social Security retirement test, and eliminating entitlement to Social Security or SSI disability benefits based solely on drug addiction or alcoholism.

March 1997 The Social Security Advisory Board issued its first formal report, entitled "Developing Social Security Policy: How the Social Security Administration Can Provide Greater Policy Leadership."

March 1, 2000 The full House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, the "Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 2000" (eliminating the Retirement Test), by a vote of 422 to 0 (with 13 members not voting).

March 22, 2000 The Senate, by a vote of 100-0, passed H.R. 5 (with a technical amendment) eliminating the Retirement Test.

March 28, 2000 The House of Representatives agreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 5, the "Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 2000," by a recorded vote of 419-0 and cleared the measure for transmission to the President.

March 1, 2002 SSA implemented tighter rules on the issuance of Social Security cards to aliens not authorized to work in the U. S.