Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2417

 117 STAT. 2398

Reports.

Appropriation authorization.

VerDate 11-MAY-2000

13:59 Aug 30, 2004

PUBLIC LAW 108–173—DEC. 8, 2003

under section 1869 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ff) (as amended by this Act). (4) GAO EVALUATION.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall evaluate the plan and, not later than the date that is 6 months after the date on which the plan is received by the Comptroller General, shall submit to Congress a report on such evaluation. (b) TRANSFER OF ADJUDICATION AUTHORITY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not earlier than July 1, 2005, and not later than October 1, 2005, the Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretary shall implement the transition plan under subsection (a) and transfer the administrative law judge functions described in such subsection from the Social Security Administration to the Secretary. (2) ASSURING INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGES.—The Secretary shall assure the independence of administrative law judges performing the administrative law judge functions transferred under paragraph (1) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its contractors. In order to assure such independence, the Secretary shall place such judges in an administrative office that is organizationally and functionally separate from such Centers. Such judges shall report to, and be under the general supervision of, the Secretary, but shall not report to, or be subject to supervision by, another officer of the Department of Health and Human Services. (3) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall provide for an appropriate geographic distribution of administrative law judges performing the administrative law judge functions transferred under paragraph (1) throughout the United States to ensure timely access to such judges. (4) HIRING AUTHORITY.—Subject to the amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary shall have authority to hire administrative law judges to hear such cases, taking into consideration those judges with expertise in handling medicare appeals and in a manner consistent with paragraph (3), and to hire support staff for such judges. (5) FINANCING.—Amounts payable under law to the Commissioner for administrative law judges performing the administrative law judge functions transferred under paragraph (1) from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund shall become payable to the Secretary for the functions so transferred. (6) SHARED RESOURCES.—The Secretary shall enter into such arrangements with the Commissioner as may be appropriate with respect to transferred functions of administrative law judges to share office space, support staff, and other resources, with appropriate reimbursement from the Trust Funds described in paragraph (5). (c) INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT.—In addition to any amounts otherwise appropriated, to ensure timely action on appeals before administrative law judges and the Departmental Appeals Board consistent with section 1869 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ff) (as amended by this Act), there are authorized to be appropriated (in appropriate part from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, established under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i), and the Federal Supplementary

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