H.R. 7228 — Maintain Access to Vital Social Security Services Act of 2026

This section requires the Commissioner of Social Security to operate sufficient field offices with adequate personnel to provide comprehensive public services, meet workloads, and minimize wait times, including maintaining personnel levels not below those assigned on January 1, 2025. It prohibits closing a field office (including by lease termination), consolidating it, or reducing public access or in-person services without following specified procedures—namely (1) 180-day advance public, congressional, and local government notifications detailing the action, reasons, hearings, alternatives, and contact information; (2) at least two public hearings in the service area 30 to 120 days after public notification, covering reasons, mitigation plans for vulnerable populations (e.g., elderly, disabled), and comment opportunities; (3) acceptance and online posting of written public comments; and (4) a public website report 15 days before the action describing it and consideration of local alternatives. These procedures do not apply during a public health emergency declared under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d(a)).

This section revises a function of the Social Security Advisory Board by requiring its recommendations on the quality of service that the Social Security Administration provides to the public to take into account the impact of closing field offices on service quality to individuals with disabilities or language barriers or other vulnerable populations (from recommendations with respect to the quality of service that the Administration provides to the public).

This section requires the Commissioner to submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a report that—(1) lists all Social Security Administration field offices closed during the 5-year period ending on the date of enactment, the reason for each closure, and impacts on wait times and staffing at nearby field offices; (2) describes the role of the General Services Administration in each closure regarding alternative actions such as relocation—including the number of alternative locations identified, whether and how input on alternatives was sought from state or local officials or the public (and timing of such input), common reasons alternatives were not found, and recommendations to improve transparency and adequacy of the alternative-space process; and (3) outlines a plan to ensure field offices receive sufficient resources to maintain at least the prior fiscal year's level of constituent services and to address projected field office usage over the ensuing 10-year period.