Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act
Public Law 119-77 · S. 269 · 119th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Feb 10, 2026 · Social Welfare
Sponsor: Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Gary Peters, Sen. Mark Warner,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee · Senate · discharged from, markup by, referred to
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2716Identical billPublic law contains the text
Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Feb 10, 2026Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 119-77.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 3, 2026FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 12, 2026FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 269.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 10, 2025FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Oct 8, 2025FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 19, 2025FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 30, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 28, 2025CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3912SenateSen. John KennedyR-LA· offered Sep 19, 2025Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 19, 2025: Amendment SA 3912 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.