HR 1876

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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. <all>