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Congress·Reported·about 2 months ago

House Committee Advances Bill to Cut Social Security Payments to Deceased Recipients

Also known as: Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impacts

Mixed Impacts(3)
Social Security
Neutral
Disability Benefits
Neutral
Retiree
Neutral
Positive Impacts(1)
Federal Employee
Helps

Key Points

  • Social Security would share state-reported death information with the federal system agencies use to block improper payments.
  • The bill aims to help stop government checks or benefits from going to people who have died, and to help recover money that was paid by mistake.
  • Social Security would have to use “clear and convincing” evidence before marking someone as dead in records shared with other agencies.
  • If Social Security wrongly flags someone as deceased, it must notify other agencies it shares data with so those agencies can fix any problems.
  • These changes would not start until December 27, 2026.
Social SecurityConsumer Protection

Milestones

3 milestones6 actions
Jan 7, 2026House

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 371.

Jan 7, 2026House

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-426.

Dec 10, 2025House

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

Dec 10, 2025House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Apr 8, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Starting in early 2027, after systems and agreements are in place

Agencies using Do Not Pay are more likely to stop or recover payments tied to a death match sooner.

Families may see fewer “overpayment” letters months later, but agencies may also pause some payments faster when a death is confirmed, which can change the timing of final payments.

Related News

4 articles
Financial Regulation News·18 days ago

Law signed to halt improper payments to deceased individuals

The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act (S. 269) authorizes the Social Security Administration to share its complete death records with the Treasury to enhance the effectiveness of the Do Not Pay service, making a temporary data-sharing agreement permanent.

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NewsNation·17 days ago

Sen. John Kennedy on Social Security: We were sending billions to dead people

Senator John Kennedy discussed his legislation, the 'Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act,' which was signed into law by President Trump. The law aims to reduce federal payments to deceased individuals, which Kennedy claims totaled $1.3 billion in 2023 alone.

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Nextgov/FCW·about 2 months ago

Bill to improve government's anti-fraud checks heads to Trump's desk

House lawmakers passed a bipartisan proposal to give the Treasury Department's Do Not Pay system permanent access to death records at the Social Security Administration. The bill aims to prevent payments to deceased individuals or fraudsters using their information.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Bill NumberHR 2716
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionPlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 371.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)
R: 2

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.