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Congress·Passed Both·about 2 months ago

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

Also known as: Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
✓ Review
✓ Senate
✓ House
President

Impacts

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

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

Milestones

5 milestones16 actions
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)

Jan 12, 2026

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

Jan 12, 2026House

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 269.

Jan 12, 2026House

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H634-637)

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.

Related News

2 articles
Associated Press·about 1 year ago

US recovers $31 million in federal payments to dead people

Covers Treasury’s pilot using Social Security death records and explicitly notes lawmakers seeking permanent access—core policy goal of the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act.

C=
New York Post·3 months ago

Social Security Administration ripped for sending checks to dead people: 'Paying actual ghosts'

Mentions the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act as a proposed fix tied to SSA-Treasury death-records data sharing; primarily a broader critique piece.

R−

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Bill NumberS 269
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(5)
D: 3R: 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.