119-hr1876

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1876 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1876

 To prevent closure of social security field and hearing offices and 
 resident stations.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 5, 2025

 Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. Neal, Mr. Davis of 
 Illinois, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. 
 Nadler, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Thompson of 
 Mississippi, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Titus, Mr. Cohen, Mr. 
 Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Chu, Ms. 
 Sewell, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Ivey, Mrs. 
Cherfilus-McCormick, Mrs. McIver, Mrs. Hayes, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Takano, 
 Ms. Elfreth, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Khanna, Mr. 
 Lynch, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. 
 Tonko, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Stanton, Ms. 
 Barragan, Ms. Norton, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. 
 Auchincloss, Mr. Carson, Mr. Sorensen, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Landsman, 
 Ms. DelBene, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Amo, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, 
 Ms. Underwood, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Riley of New York, Ms. Plaskett, Ms. 
Randall, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Brown, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Swalwell, 
Ms. Brownley, Mr. Morelle, Ms. Matsui, and Mr. McGarvey) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To prevent closure of social security field and hearing offices and 
 resident stations.

 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 ``Keeping Our Field Offices Open 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PREVENTING CLOSURE OF FIELD AND HEARING OFFICES AND RESIDENT 
 STATIONS.

    (a) Moratorium on Closure or Consolidation of Field or Hearing 
Offices or New Limitations on Access to Such Offices.--

    (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs

    (2) and

    (3) , the Commissioner of Social Security shall take no action 
 on or after the date of enactment of this Act to close or 
 consolidate field or hearing offices or resident stations of 
 the Social Security Administration or to otherwise impose any 
 new limitation on access to such offices or stations.

    (2) Exception for emergency closures.--Paragraph

    (1) shall 
 not apply with respect to any temporary action by the 
 Commissioner to close or otherwise limit access to field or 
 hearing offices or resident stations in response to an 
 emergency.

    (3) Cessation of moratorium upon report to congress.--
 Paragraph

    (1) shall cease to be effective on the date that is 
 180 days after the report described in paragraph

    (4) is 
 submitted.

    (4) Report required.--Not earlier than January 21, 2029, 
 the Commissioner shall submit to the Committee on Ways and 
 Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
 Finance of the Senate a report outlining and justifying the 
 process for selecting field or hearing offices or resident 
 stations to be closed or consolidated or otherwise to have 
 limited access. Such report shall include--
        (A) an analysis of the criteria used for selecting 
 field or hearing offices and resident stations for 
 closure, consolidation, or limited access;
        (B) a description of how the Commissioner has 
 analyzed and considered relevant factors, including 
 transportation and communication burdens faced by 
 individuals serviced by the offices and stations, 
 including elderly and disabled individuals; and
            (C) a description of any method of cost-benefit 
 analysis applied by the Commissioner in connection with 
 closures and consolidations of such offices and 
 stations, and other limitations on access the offices 
 and stations, including any analysis that takes into 
 account--
            (i) the anticipated savings resulting from 
 the closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
 access;
            (ii) the anticipated costs associated with 
 replacing services lost by the closure, 
 consolidation, or limitation on access;
            (iii) the anticipated effects on employees 
 of the offices or stations affected;
            (iv) how the loss of access resulting from 
 the closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
 access will be replaced by the establishment of 
 a new field or hearing office or resident 
 station, increased access at a different office 
 or station, or some other means, and the 
 factors considered by the Commissioner in 
 determining how to replace such lost access; 
 and
            (v) such other relevant factors as may be 
 determined by the Commissioner, including but 
 not limited to transportation and communication 
 burdens faced by individuals serviced by the 
 offices and stations, including elderly and 
 disabled individuals.

    (b) Requirements for Future Closures, Consolidations, and New 
Limitations on Access.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 704 of the Social Security Act (42 
 U.S.C. 904) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
 subsection:
 ``

    (f)

    (1) Field and Hearing Offices and Resident Stations.--Subject 
to paragraph

    (6) , the Commissioner may not close a field or hearing 
office or a resident station of the Administration, consolidate two or 
more such offices or stations, or otherwise impose any new limitation 
on public access to any such office or station, unless the Commissioner 
complies with the requirements of paragraphs

    (2) ,

    (3) ,

    (4) , and

    (5) in 
connection with the closure, consolidation, or limitation on public 
access.
 ``

    (2)
        (A) The requirements of this paragraph are met in connection 
with a closure, consolidation, or new limitation on access referred to 
in paragraph

    (1) only if--
 ``
            (i) not later than 120 days before the date of the 
 closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, the 
 Commissioner provides effective public notice of the proposed 
 closure, consolidation, or limitation on access (including, to 
 the extent practicable, notice by direct mailing and through 
 community outlets such as newspapers and posting in heavily 
 frequented public spaces) to individuals residing in the area 
 serviced by the affected offices or stations;
 ``
            (ii) the public notice issued pursuant to clause
            (i) includes information on--
 ``
            (I) how the Commissioner will, not later than 30 
 days after the date of the closure, consolidation, or 
 limitation on access, replace the loss in access 
 resulting from the closure, consolidation, or 
 limitation on access by establishing a new office or 
 station, increasing public access to a different office 
 or station, or some other means; and
 ``
            (II) how to contact the Administration if an 
 individual experiences service delays or problems as a 
 result of the closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
 access; and
 ``
            (iii) not earlier than 30 days after the issuance of 
 public notice pursuant to clause
            (i) and not later than 45 days 
 before the date of the proposed closure, consolidation, or 
 limitation on access, the Commissioner conducts at least 2 
 public hearings (scheduled so that the first and last such 
 hearings are separated by at least 10 days), at which the 
 Commissioner presents the justifications for the closure, 
 consolidation, or limitation on access described in 
 subparagraph
        (B) and provides for attendees an opportunity to 
 present their views regarding the proposed closure, 
 consolidation, or limitation on access.
 ``
        (B) The justifications referred to in subparagraph
        (A)
            (iii) shall 
consist of the following:
 ``
            (i) an analysis of the criteria used for selecting the 
 field or hearing office or offices, or the resident station or 
 stations, for closure, consolidation, or limited access;
 ``
            (ii) a description of how the Commissioner has analyzed 
 and considered relevant factors, including but not limited to 
 transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals 
 serviced by the offices or stations, including elderly and 
 disabled individuals; and
 ``
            (iii) a description of a method of cost-benefit analysis 
 which shall be applied by the Commissioner in connection with 
 the closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, and which 
 shall take into account--
 ``
            (I) the anticipated savings resulting from the 
 closure, consolidation, or limitation on access;
 ``
            (II) the anticipated costs associated with 
 replacing services lost by the closure, consolidation, 
 or limitation on access;
 ``
            (III) the anticipated effects on employees of the 
 offices or stations affected; and
 ``
            (IV) such other relevant factors as may be 
 determined by the Commissioner, including but not 
 limited to transportation and communication burdens 
 faced by individuals serviced by the offices and 
 stations, including elderly and disabled individuals.
 ``
            (C) The notice provided pursuant to subparagraph
        (A)
            (i) shall 
include notice of the time and place of the public hearings to be 
conducted pursuant to clause
        (A)
            (iii) and of the right of aggrieved 
individuals to appeal to the Commissioner regarding the proposed 
closure, consolidation, or limitation on access pursuant to paragraph

    (4) .
 ``

    (3) The requirements of this paragraph are met in connection with 
a closure, consolidation, or limitation on access referred to in 
paragraph

    (1) only if, not later than 30 days before the date of the 
proposed closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, the 
Commissioner submits to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and each 
Member of the Congress representing a State or congressional district 
in which the affected office or offices, or station or stations, are 
located a detailed final report in support of the closure, 
consolidation, or limitation on access. Such report shall include--
 ``
        (A) the justifications described in paragraph

    (2)
        (B) , 
 (including any amendments made to such justifications after the 
 public hearings conducted pursuant to paragraph

    (2)
        (A) );
 ``
        (B) any findings made by the Commissioner pursuant to the 
 public hearings;
 ``
            (C) the status of any appeals regarding the closure, 
 consolidation, or new limitation on access which were commenced 
 pursuant to paragraph

    (4) before the date of the report;
 ``
            (D) the final decision of the Commissioner regarding the 
 closure, consolidation, or new limitation on access; and
 ``
        (E) such other information as the Commissioner considers 
 relevant.
 ``

    (4)
        (A) Upon timely request by any individual who makes a showing 
in writing described in subparagraph
        (B) in connection with a proposed 
closure, consolidation, or limitation on access referred to in 
subparagraph
        (A) , the Commissioner shall give such individual an 
opportunity for a hearing with respect to the closure, consolidation, 
or limitation on access. The request for the hearing shall be 
considered timely only if it is made not later than 30 days before the 
proposed date of the closure, consolidation, or limitation on access. 
The Commissioner shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and 
each Member of the Congress representing a State or congressional 
district in which the affected office or offices, or station or 
stations, are located the Commissioner's findings based on the hearing 
and a description of any action taken or to be taken by the 
Commissioner on the basis of such findings.
 ``
        (B) A showing described in subparagraph
        (A) shall consist of a 
showing that--
 ``
            (i) the determination of the Commissioner to close a 
 field or hearing office or resident station, consolidate field 
 or hearing offices or resident stations, or impose a new 
 limitation on access to such offices or stations is arbitrary, 
 capricious, an abuse of discretion, not in accordance with law, 
 or not based on substantial evidence; or
 ``
            (ii) the Commissioner has failed to observe procedures 
 required by law in connection with the closure, consolidation, 
 or new limitation on access.
 ``

    (5) The requirement of this paragraph is met in connection with a 
closure, consolidation, or limitation on access referred to in 
paragraph

    (1) only if such closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
access will not result in the total number of field or hearing offices 
and resident stations of the Administration falling below the total 
number of such offices and stations that were in operation on January 
20, 2025.
 ``

    (6) Paragraph

    (1) shall not apply with respect to any temporary 
action by the Commissioner to close or otherwise limit access to field 
or hearing offices or resident stations in response to an emergency.''.

    (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph

    (1) of 
 this subsection shall apply with respect to closures and 
 consolidations of field or hearing offices and resident 
 stations and impositions of new limitations on access to such 
 offices and stations occurring after the cessation of the 
 moratorium under subsection

    (a) of this section.
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