S. 269 — Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act

This section revises Social Security Administration (SSA) death data-sharing requirements under 42 U.S.C. 405(r), effective December 27, 2026, by (1) replacing paragraph (11) to require SSA, to the extent feasible, to share death information with the agency operating the Do Not Pay working system (31 U.S.C. § 3354(c))—a federal database used to prevent improper payments—via a cooperative arrangement that meets data privacy standards, and to enter a cost-sharing agreement for state death data; (2) adding paragraph (12) to prohibit SSA from recording a death in shareable records without clear and convincing evidence that the individual is deceased; and (3) amending paragraph (7) to require SSA, upon identifying an individual incorrectly recorded as deceased, to notify agencies with cooperative arrangements under paragraphs (3) or (11). (Thus, these changes enhance improper payment prevention while reducing erroneous terminations of benefits for living individuals.)