Summary

Places an immediate moratorium on closing, consolidating, or otherwise restricting public access to Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations, with limited emergency exceptions. The moratorium lasts until 180 days after the SSA Commissioner delivers a detailed report to key congressional committees (not earlier than January 21, 2029), and the bill adds new procedural rules that the Commissioner must follow before any future office closure, consolidation, or access limitation.

Key Points

• Imposes an immediate moratorium on closing or limiting access to SSA field, hearing, and resident offices, with limited emergency exceptions.
• Moratorium ends 180 days after the Commissioner submits a detailed report to Congress (not earlier than Jan 21, 2029).
• Requires a detailed pre-action process before any future closure or consolidation: 120-day notice, community outreach, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress.
• Creates an administrative hearing opportunity for timely filers who allege the action was arbitrary, capricious, unsupported by evidence, unlawful, or procedurally deficient.
• Mandates that total number of covered SSA offices cannot fall below the number operating on January 20, 2025.
• Requires the agency report to address selection criteria, transportation and communication burdens on elderly/disabled people, and a cost-benefit style analysis of savings and replacement costs.
• Does not provide new funding or create a program; it changes agency procedures and adds congressional reporting and oversight.
• Emergency closures remain permitted under a narrow exception but routine closures and consolidations are effectively paused and made harder to carry out.

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