A bipartisan push to stop the federal government from sending millions of taxpayer dollars to deceased individuals has cleared its final legislative hurdle. The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act passed the House of Representatives this week and is now on its way to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The bill, which previously passed the Senate, was championed by a coalition of lawmakers including Senator Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Its primary goal is to permanently authorize the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share its Death Master File with the Treasury Department’s “Do Not Pay” system.
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“The fact that the federal government is sending checks to dead people—often to be cashed by fraudsters—makes me want to reach for the barf bucket,” Senator John Kennedy said. “That’s why I wrote this bill to permanently stop this outrageous fraud from happening, and I’m thrilled to see Congress officially on board with this commonsense fix.”
Plugging the Drain on Taxpayer Dollars
The legislation addresses a long-standing inefficiency in federal spending. By allowing the Treasury’s payment system to cross-reference death records from the SSA, the government can flag and stop payments to beneficiaries who have passed away before the checks are cut.
Senator Ashley Moody, who joined the bipartisan group in applauding the bill’s passage, emphasized the duty lawmakers have to protect public funds.
“As stewards of our fellow taxpayers, we owe it to them to be sure their hard-earned dollars are well spent and not wasted,” Moody said. “Great to see the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act… has now passed both the House and the Senate. A step in the right direction for ending waste, fraud and abuse running rampant in Washington.”
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Senator Gary Peters noted that the bill would save millions, calling it a “vital step in safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” while Senator Ron Wyden highlighted the protection of earned benefits.
“This bipartisan bill fixes our federal government’s payment systems so that millions of taxpayer dollars are saved every year,” Wyden said.
Permanent Fix for a Recurring Problem
The bill permanently codifies what had previously been a temporary arrangement. It allows the Treasury to compare death information from the SSA with personal information from other federal entities. It also permits the sharing of this data with any agency authorized to use the Do Not Pay system.
The legislation includes safeguards to prevent living citizens from being mistakenly declared dead—a bureaucratic nightmare known as “death by clerical error.” Under the new rules, the Commissioner of Social Security cannot record a death for data-sharing purposes unless there is “clear and convincing evidence” that the individual is deceased.
With the House’s approval, the bill is poised to become law, pending President Trump’s signature.
Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), another cosponsor, celebrated the final step. “As Americans struggle to afford the cost of living, Congress should be doing everything in its power to save taxpayer dollars… I’m thrilled to see this legislation pass through the House of Representatives.”
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