Hands Off Our Social Security Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4734 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4734

To protect Social Security benefits and ensure the continued effective 
            operation of the Social Security Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2025

Ms. Stansbury (for herself, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, and 
Ms. Johnson of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To protect Social Security benefits and ensure the continued effective 
            operation of the Social Security Administration.

    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 ``Hands Off Our Social Security Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to ensure the continued effective 
operation of the Social Security Administration and to protect Social 
Security services for all Americans by prohibiting tampering with 
benefits, unauthorized data mining, privatization efforts, workforce 
reductions, office closures, and communication changes that hinder 
access to Social Security benefits.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON TAMPERING WITH SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.

    (a) No Federal officer, special government employee, or contractor 
shall alter, withhold, or delay Social Security benefits in any manner 
that is not authorized by law.
    (b) Any action to modify Social Security benefits shall require an 
Act of Congress.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON UNAUTHORIZED DATA MINING AND PRIVACY VIOLATIONS.

    (a) No Federal officer, special government employee, or contractor 
shall collect, share, or use Social Security data or personally 
identifiable information of beneficiaries or applicants for any purpose 
other than administering Social Security programs consistent with 
existing privacy laws.
    (b) Any data mining or use of Social Security or personal data for 
commercial, political, or unauthorized purposes is prohibited.
    (c) Violations of this section shall be subject to investigation 
and penalties under applicable Federal privacy and data protection 
laws.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON PRIVATIZATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND 
              SERVICES.

    (a) No action shall be taken to privatize, outsource, or otherwise 
transfer Social Security benefits administration or services to private 
entities without express approval by an Act of Congress.
    (b) The Social Security Administration shall remain a Federal 
agency responsible for the administration and delivery of Social 
Security benefits.

SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON UNAUTHORIZED WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS AT THE SSA.

    (a) No officer or special government employee of the Federal 
Government shall implement or authorize any reduction in the workforce 
of the Social Security Administration without approval from an Act of 
Congress.
    (b) Any reduction in SSA staffing levels shall require a detailed 
report to Congress, including the anticipated impact on service 
delivery and plans to maintain adequate service levels.

SEC. 7. PROHIBITION ON CLOSURE OF SSA OFFICES WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL 
              CONSENT.

    (a) The closure or consolidation of any Social Security 
Administration office or field office shall be prohibited unless 
expressly authorized by an Act of Congress.
    (b) The SSA shall maintain a minimum number of fully operational 
field offices in each state proportional to the population served.

SEC. 8. MAINTENANCE OF MULTI-CHANNEL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS.

    (a) The Social Security Administration shall maintain its existing 
telephone and in-person communication services and ensure its 
effectiveness as essential channels for beneficiary assistance.
    (b) Any changes to communication methods, including use of social 
media platforms such as Twitter, shall be supplementary and not replace 
existing official communication channels.
    (c) No communication services essential to SSA beneficiaries shall 
be terminated or diminished without prior approval by an Act of 
Congress.

SEC. 9. ENFORCEMENT AND OVERSIGHT.

    (a) The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall conduct annual 
audits of SSA workforce levels, office operations, and communication 
services to ensure compliance with this Act.
    (b) The Comptroller General shall report findings to Congress, 
including any noncompliance and recommendations for corrective action.

SEC. 10. SEVERABILITY.

    If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof, to any 
person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act, and 
the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances, 
shall not be affected thereby.
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