Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens federal efforts to prevent and recover improper payments by sharing SSA death data (with state cost-sharing and safeguards) at the cost of increased data-sharing/privacy risks, the potential for temporary benefit interruptions, and added administrative and fiscal burdens.
Taxpayers and federal programs: Enables use of Social Security death data with the Do Not Pay system to prevent and recover improper federal payments, reducing waste and fraud.
Seniors and benefit recipients: Establishes a clear-and-convincing-evidence standard before SSA records someone as deceased, lowering the chance of wrongful death listings that can disrupt benefits.
Benefit administrators and beneficiaries: Requires notification and correction procedures when someone is incorrectly identified as deceased, enabling quicker restoration of benefits and reducing harm from errors.
Seniors, beneficiaries, and Medicaid recipients: Automated matching with the Do Not Pay system could still cause mistaken denials or temporary interruptions of benefits despite evidentiary safeguards.
Individuals whose death-related records are shared: Expands interagency sharing of SSA death-related records, increasing risks to privacy and potential misuse of sensitive personal data.
Taxpayers and state budgets: Using Do Not Pay and compensating states for death data access will incur additional federal and state administrative costs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced April 8, 2025 by Clay Higgins · Last progress April 8, 2025
Requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share verified death information with the federal Do Not Pay working system to help prevent and recover improper payments. It also raises the evidentiary standard before SSA may record someone as deceased in data shared with other agencies, and requires the SSA and the Do Not Pay operator to enter a cost-sharing agreement for State death data. The changes take effect December 27, 2026.