WASHINGTON, D.C – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) introduced the bicameral Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which would save taxpayer dollars by stopping unlawful payments to scammers who utilize deceased individuals’ information to defraud the federal government. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
The legislation reins in government spending by permanently amending the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to allow the Social Security Administration to share the records of deceased individuals, known as the Death Master File, with the Treasury Department’s ‘Do Not Pay’ system.
“The national debt is a significant threat. The American people support efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of their tax dollars, which certainly includes ensuring payments are not being delivered to dead people. Our legislation addresses this gap in the bureaucracy and cuts wasteful spending,” said Congressman Higgins.
“In 2023 alone, the federal government sent $1.3 billion to dead people. The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently correct bureaucratic errors so that Americans’ tax dollars don’t get wasted or stolen,” said Senator Kennedy.
Read the legislation here.
