Sponsor
Julie Johnson
Representative · D-TX
Representative · D-TX
The bill would make SSA phone service more reliable and predictable for seniors and other beneficiaries, but it requires increased staffing and funding that raise costs and could limit agency flexibility or cause service disruptions if Congress does not appropriate sufficient resources.
Seniors and other SSA beneficiaries will have more reliable phone access during set business hours (8 a.m.–5 p.m.), with shorter wait times and faster resolution of appeals, enrollment, and benefit questions.
All claimants nationwide benefit from standardized, predictable SSA call center hours across time zones, reducing confusion about when help is available.
If Congress does not provide sufficient appropriations, SSA may be unable to meet the staffing requirement and could face implementation shortfalls or service disruptions that harm beneficiaries.
Taxpayers and the federal budget will likely face higher personnel costs to meet the staffing mandate, requiring increased appropriations or reallocation of agency funds.
A rigid requirement to be "fully staffed" during set hours may reduce SSA's operational flexibility (e.g., telework, staggered shifts, temporary closures during emergencies), complicating workforce management.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires every SSA office to be fully staffed to answer telephone calls 8 a.m.–5 p.m. local time, M–F (excl. Federal holidays), effective Jan 1, 2027.
Official title: To amend the Social Security Act to ensure that each office of the Social Security Administration and each State agency that makes disability determinations are fully staffed with employees to answer calls during business hours, and for other purposes.
Introduced October 17, 2025 by Julie Johnson · Last progress October 17, 2025
Requires the Social Security Administration to keep each field office fully staffed to answer telephone calls during standard business hours (8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. local time, Monday–Friday, excluding Federal holidays). The operational requirement is added to the Social Security Act and takes effect January 1, 2027. The change is limited to an office-level staffing and service-hour mandate for SSA — it does not create new benefit rules or change eligibility, but it does impose nationwide operational obligations on the agency.