U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Alexandria, said legislation aimed at stopping improper federal payments to deceased individuals is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk after clearing Congress.
The House of Representatives approved the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, a bipartisan measure sponsored by Warner and led in the House by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in September 2025.
“As Americans struggle to afford the cost of living, Congress should be doing everything in its power to save taxpayer dollars and protect government resources from fraud and abuse,” Warner said. “I’m thrilled to see this legislation pass through the House of Representatives – the last step needed in order to send this to the President’s desk for his signature. I will continue working in a bipartisan manner to improve efficiency and ensure that our government is working for the American people.”
The bill would permanently amend the Social Security Act to allow the Social Security Administration to share its Death Master File — a database of deceased individuals — with the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system. Supporters say the change would prevent future improper payments by allowing federal agencies to cross-check death records before issuing funds.
Under the legislation, the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system would also be authorized to compare death information with data from other federal agencies and share that information with agencies permitted to use the system.
The measure was led in the Senate by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., alongside Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Ashley Moody, R-Fla.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
“The fact that the federal government is sending checks to dead people – often to be cashed by fraudsters – makes me want to reach for the barf bucket,” Kennedy said. “That’s why I wrote this bill to permanently stop this outrageous fraud from happening, and I’m thrilled to see Congress officially on board with this common-sense fix.”
Peters said the bill would help save millions of taxpayer dollars by ensuring permanent data sharing between the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department.
Wyden said the legislation would help protect earned benefits and personal data, while Moody called the bill “a step in the right direction for ending waste, fraud and abuse running rampant in Washington.”
Hassan urged President Trump to sign the bill into law, saying it would strengthen safeguards against unintentional payments to deceased individuals.
