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HR 2716 · 119th Congress · Social Welfare

Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

Introduced April 08, 2025 Latest action January 07, 2026 2 cosponsors

Sponsor

Latest action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 371.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Jan 07, 2026
committee Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-426.
Ways and Means Committee
Jan 07, 2026
other Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 371.
Dec 10, 2025
committee Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ways and Means Committee
Dec 10, 2025
committee Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.
Ways and Means Committee
Apr 08, 2025
introduced Introduced in House

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Jan 07, 2026 Reported in House
XML
Apr 08, 2025 Introduced in House
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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

Changelog
ⓘ

How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

  1. ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.
  2. rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.
  3. rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).
  4. pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.
  5. eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.
  6. rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.
  7. eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.
  8. ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.
  9. enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.
  10. pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.
  11. pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

→
+82 −21 24 unchanged
--- Introduced (House)
+++ Reported (House)
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[H.R. 2716 Introduced in House (IH)]
+[H.R. 2716 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
+Union Calendar No. 371
119th CONGRESS
-1st Session
+2d Session
H. R. 2716
+
+[Report No. 119-426]
To improve coordination between Federal and State agencies and the Do
Not Pay working system.
@@ -19,6 +22,19 @@
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
@@ -31,28 +47,73 @@
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
-This Act may be cited as the ``Ending Improper Payments to Deceased
-People Act''.
+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 801(a) of title VIII of division FF of the
-Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260) is amended
-by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
-``(7) by adding at the end the following paragraph:
-```(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 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.'.''.
-(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 801(b)(2) of title VIII of
+(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 ``on the date that is 3 years after the
-date of enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``on December 28, 2026''.
+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 28, 2026.
-<all>
+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

Cosponsors (2)

Members who signed on to support this bill.

Meuser R
Miller-Meeks R