H.R. 1876

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

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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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