[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2716 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 371
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2716

                          [Report No. 119-426]

 To improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do 
                        Not Pay working system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2025

   Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

                            January 7, 2026

         Additional sponsors: Mr. Meuser and Mrs. Miller-Meeks

                            January 7, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 
                                8, 2025]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do 
                        Not Pay working system.


 


    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Ending Improper Payments to 
Deceased People Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING COORDINATION BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES AND 
              THE DO NOT PAY WORKING SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Section 205(r) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 405(r)), as amended by section 801(a)(7) of title VIII of 
division FF of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 
116-260), is amended by striking paragraph (11) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(11) The Commissioner of Social Security shall, to the 
        extent feasible, provide information furnished to the 
        Commissioner under paragraph (1) to the agency operating the Do 
        Not Pay working system described in section 3354(c) of title 
        31, United States Code, for the authorized uses of the Do Not 
        Pay working system to help prevent improper payments of, and 
        support the recovery of improperly paid, benefits or other 
        payments through a cooperative arrangement with such agency, 
        provided that the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
        paragraph (3) are met with respect to such arrangement with 
        such agency. The Commissioner of Social Security and the agency 
        operating the Do Not Pay working system shall, while the data 
        described in the preceding sentence is being provided to the 
        agency operating the Do Not Pay working system, enter into an 
        agreement based upon an agreed upon methodology, which covers 
        the proportional share of State death data costs, which the 
        Commissioner of Social Security and the agency operating the Do 
        Not Pay working system may periodically review.
            ``(12) The Commissioner of Social Security may not record a 
        death to a record that may be provided under this section for 
        any individual unless the Commissioner of Social Security has 
        found it has clear and convincing evidence to support that the 
        individual should be presumed to be deceased.''.
    (b) Improving Coordination Regarding Individuals Incorrectly 
Identified as Deceased.--Section 205(r)(7) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 405(r)(7)), as added by section 801(a)(4) of title VIII of 
division FF of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 
116-260), is amended by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
(A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and 
inserting ``; and'', and by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(C) notify any agency that has a cooperative 
                arrangement with the Commissioner of Social Security 
                under paragraph (3) or (11) of the error.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on December 27, 2026.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 371

119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2716

                          [Report No. 119-426]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do 
                        Not Pay working system.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            January 7, 2026

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed