HR2716119th CongressWALLET

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Sponsored By: Representative Higgins (LA)

In Committee

Summary

Better federal-state data sharing to stop improper payments. This bill would let the Social Security Administration (SSA) share death and related records with the Do Not Pay working system to prevent and recover improper payments, require strong proof before SSA records a death, and set rules for states to share costs. It takes effect December 27, 2026.

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  • Families and beneficiaries: Reduces the risk that someone is wrongly recorded as deceased and loses benefits. SSA could not record a death for shared records without clear and convincing evidence.
  • State agencies: Requires a cooperative agreement that spells out each party's share of State death data costs and allows periodic review of that cost-sharing method.
  • Federal payment-integrity programs: Allows the Do Not Pay agency to use SSA-provided data for authorized prevention and recovery work, and requires notice to cooperating agencies when errors occur.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Clear proof needed before marking death

If enacted, the bill would prohibit the Social Security Administration from recording a death in records that could be shared under this section unless the agency has clear and convincing evidence the person is deceased. The rule would raise the proof needed before someone is marked as dead to reduce mistaken death listings that can stop or change federal payments. This change would take effect on December 27, 2026.

New death-data sharing for Social Security

If enacted, the bill would let the Social Security Administration share death records with the federal Do Not Pay working system to help stop improper payments and recover overpayments. The sharing would be only to the extent feasible and only through cooperative arrangements that meet the law's existing conditions for use. While death data are shared, SSA and the Do Not Pay agency would sign an agreement to split the proportional costs of State death data using an agreed method, and they could review that agreement periodically. The bill would also require SSA to notify any agency with such a cooperative agreement if someone is wrongly identified as deceased. These changes would take effect on December 27, 2026.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Higgins (LA)

LA • R

Cosponsors

  • Meuser

    PA • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Miller-Meeks

    IA • R

    Sponsored 12/16/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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