# 119-s-3954: No Lifeline for Dead People Act

119-s-3954, No Lifeline for Dead People Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3954
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3954
- Congress: 119
- Title: No Lifeline for Dead People Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-26
- Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Require Lifeline eligibility to be verified solely through the National Verifier.** This bill would prohibit eligible telecommunications carriers in certain states from relying on state-based eligibility determinations for Lifeline voice or broadband service, define key terms by cross-reference to existing federal regulations, and not provide new funding or sunset provisions.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Require National Verifier for Lifeline: mixed, low. This bill would stop eligible carriers from giving Lifeline voice or broadband service unless they use the FCC’s National Verifier. Lifeline service here means voice telephony or broadband under subpart E of part 54 of title 47. The National Verifier is the system defined at 47 C.F.R. 54.400. If en…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-2355: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026
- 119-s-4335: HERO Child Care for Military Families Act
- 119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3954 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3954)

## Related
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-2355: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2355)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [119-s-4335: HERO Child Care for Military Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4335)
- [119-s-4189: INSULIN Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4189)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3954 (as of 2026-09-10).