Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
Sponsored By: Senator Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced
Summary
Insulate the Social Security Administration from political interference and fund its operations. This bill would limit political appointee access to beneficiary systems, require career-led internal offices, and create new funding for customer service and grants.
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- Keeps SSA field office presence and staffing at January 1, 2025 levels and limits closures. It requires maintained live-operator access, improved phone metrics within 12 months, expanded online applications, and codifies overpayment recovery of up to 10 percent of a benefit or $10 per month.
- Creates grant programs for disability advocacy and local assistance. It authorizes $25.0 million for State protection and advocacy grants for FY2026–2030 and $15.0 million per year for FY2026–2030 to fund at least 10 community grants annually, with minimum awards of $500,000 and required beneficiary representation on governance boards.
- Restructures SSA governance and funding rules. It removes SSA from Department of Government Efficiency oversight, restricts political access to beneficiary data with civil and criminal penalties, reestablishes three Deputy Commissioner-led internal offices, sets an annual appropriation formula equal to 1.2 percent of specified benefit payments beginning FY2026, requires Medicare administration funding from HI and SMI trust funds, and creates a $2.0 billion Customer Experience Fund for FY2026–FY2035 while excluding SSA administrative costs from certain budget enforcement calculations.
*The bill would authorize significant new administrative spending and dedicated funding mechanisms and would change how SSA administration is counted in federal budget enforcement.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Keep local Social Security offices open
This bill would require SSA to keep at least the same number of field and hearing offices as of January 1, 2025. Offices could close only for short emergencies or relocations. SSA would have to improve phone wait, callback, and service times within 12 months and keep staff at or above 2024 levels. Online applications and direct-deposit changes must be accessible.
Stronger privacy rules for SSA data
This bill would bar political appointees and special government employees from accessing SSA systems that hold Social Security numbers or personal data, except SSA staff who work to improve benefits. It would create civil damages (at least $5,000 per improper access) and allow punitive damages in serious cases. Willful official disclosures could bring fines, prison, dismissal, and Inspector General and GAO reporting.
More stable SSA funding and budgets
This bill would set a steady annual SSA administrative appropriation beginning in FY2026 equal to 1.2% of defined benefit payments. It would establish a $2 billion Customer Experience Fund for FY2026–FY2035 for IT, backlog reduction, and online services. It would also stop counting certain Social Security trust fund flows and some program-integrity costs in official budget totals starting October 1, 2025.
Higher monthly overpayment recovery rules
This bill would let SSA reduce a person's monthly Title II benefit by the greater of 10% of the benefit or $10 to recover overpayments for determinations made on or after March 25, 2024. The rule would not apply if the overpayment was due to fraud. A person could elect to waive the 10%/$10 rule and ask for a larger recovery instead.
Limit moving SSA jobs out of civil service
This bill would limit excepting SSA positions to certain schedules and require employee consent for transfers. During any four‑year presidential term, no more than 1% of SSA employees or five employees may be moved from the competitive service. OPM must report annually and issue implementing rules.
New internal offices to oversee SSA
This bill would create three new SSA offices led by career Deputy Commissioners: Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity, Transformation, and Analytics, Review, and Oversight. They would enforce civil-rights rules, guide modernization, and help detect and prevent fraud.
Grants for community disability help
This bill would fund at least 10 grants each year from FY2026 to FY2030 to help people with disabilities apply for Title II and Title XVI benefits and navigate appeals. Each grant must be at least $500,000 over five years. The program would be authorized $15 million per year.
State legal help for disability claimants
This bill would pay State protection and advocacy systems to help people with disabilities apply for and appeal Social Security benefits. Each State system would get at least $200,000; certain territories would get at least $100,000. The program is authorized $25 million per year for FY2026–FY2030.
Higher proof before listing someone dead
This bill would require clear and convincing evidence before SSA marks someone as deceased in its records. If SSA records a death in error, it would have to notify other agencies that share data with SSA.
Remove outside control over SSA
This bill would bar the Department of Government Efficiency from overseeing SSA and exempt SSA from several named Executive Orders. This changes who supervises SSA but does not by itself change individual benefit rules.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Cosponsors
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Charles Schumer
NY • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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