S. 269 · 119th Congress

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Introduced on Jan 28, 2025 by John Kennedy (R-LA). 5 cosponsors, 3 of them from another party. Became Public Law 119-77.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 119-77
Introduced
Jan 28, 2025
Cosponsors
5
3 from the other party
Policy area
Social Welfare
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

A bill to improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do Not Pay working system.

Subjects

  • Disability assistance
  • Intergovernmental relations
  • Social security and elderly assistance

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Feb 10, 2026). Public domain.

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.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

John KennedyR-LASponsor

Democrats · 3

Republicans · 2

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Jan 28, 2025Introduced in Senate
  2. Jan 28, 2025 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  3. Jul 30, 2025 · SenateCommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  4. Sep 19, 2025Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Sep 19, 2025 · SenateSenate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6798)
  6. Sep 19, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Sep 19, 2025 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6798)
  8. Oct 8, 2025 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  9. Oct 10, 2025 · HouseReceived in the House.
  10. Oct 10, 2025 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  11. Jan 12, 2026 · HouseMr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  12. Jan 12, 2026 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H634-637)
  13. Jan 12, 2026 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 269.
  14. Jan 12, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H634)
  15. Jan 12, 2026 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H634)
  16. Jan 12, 2026 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  17. Feb 3, 2026Presented to President.
  18. Feb 3, 2026 · HousePresented to President.
  19. Feb 10, 2026Signed by President.
  20. Feb 10, 2026Signed by President.
  21. Feb 10, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-77.
  22. Feb 10, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-77.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.