Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act
Latest action · Feb 10, 2026 Became Public Law No: 119-77.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 28, 2025
- Passed SenateSep 19, 2025
- Passed HouseJan 12, 2026
- To the PresidentFeb 3, 2026
- Became lawFeb 10, 2026
Summary
Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act
This act permanently allows the Department of the Treasury to access certain death records maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help prevent and recover improper payments (e.g., payments to deceased individuals). The act also establishes evidentiary requirements the SSA must meet before identifying an individual as deceased.
Current law requires the SSA to share its Death Master File with the Do Not Pay system maintained by Treasury for three years. The act makes this requirement permanent. Treasury must enter into an agreement with the SSA related to Treasury's share of the cost of state death data.
The act also prohibits the SSA from recording a death in the master file unless the SSA has clear and convincing evidence that the individual should be presumed deceased. If an individual is incorrectly identified as deceased and provides the SSA with supporting documentation, the SSA may notify certain agencies that have access to the master file, including Treasury and federal or state agencies that provide or disburse federally funded benefits.
Cosponsors 5
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 28, 2025 to Jul 29, 2025, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Original | Jan 28, 2025 |
| D-VA | Mark R. Warner | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| R-IA | Joni Ernst | Mar 10, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Ashley Moody | Jul 29, 2025 | |
| D-NH | Margaret Wood Hassan | Jul 29, 2025 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 10, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-77.
- Feb 10, 2026Signed by President.
- Feb 3, 2026Presented to President.
- Jan 12, 2026Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H634-637)
- Jan 12, 2026DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 269.
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 3912 | In the nature of a substitute. | John Kennedy R-LA | Amendment SA 3912 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2716 | Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act | Identical bill | Jan 7, 2026 |
| HR 2716 | Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act | Related bill | Jan 7, 2026 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Social Welfare.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Sep 19, 2025Engrossed in Senate
- Jan 28, 2025Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.