Congress·Enacted·S. 269

Congress requires Social Security to share death data to help stop payments sent after someone dies

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: President Signs Law to Curb Improper Payments via SSA Death Data Sharing

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Signed Into Law

This legislation has been enacted.

↔Companion bill: House Committee Advances Bill to Cut Social Security Payments to Deceased Recipients

Legislative Progress

✓ Senate

✓ House

✓ President

✓ Law

Key Points

Social Security must share state death-record information with the federal system that checks whether someone should be paid.
The goal is to prevent or recover government payments that go out after a person has died.
Social Security must use a high proof standard before marking someone as dead in records shared for payment checks, helping avoid mistakes.
If Social Security wrongly marks someone as deceased, it must tell other agencies it shares data with so the error can be fixed faster.
The changes do not start right away; they take effect on December 27, 2026.

Social SecurityConsumer Protection

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(1)

Federal Employee

Neutral

Positive Impacts(9)

Retiree

Helps

Social Security

Helps

Disability Benefits

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Child Tax Credit

Helps

Housing Assistance

Helps

Medicaid

Helps

Snap Food Stamps

Helps

Renter

Helps

Milestones

8 milestones20 actions

Feb 10, 2026

Became Public Law No: 119-77.

Feb 10, 2026

Signed by President.

Feb 3, 2026House

Presented to President.

Jan 12, 2026House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Jan 12, 2026House

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H634)

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Around late 2026, leading up to the effective date

Social Security and the agency running the Do Not Pay system work out a cost-sharing agreement for state death-record data.

States that provide death data may get more consistent reimbursement for part of their data costs, but the final formula will affect how much support each state receives.