President Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday designed to prevent the government from sending millions of dollars in payments to people who are, well, dead.
The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which was signed into law on February 10, 2026, permanently authorizes the Social Security Administration to share death records with the Department of Treasury’s “Do Not Pay” system — a move lawmakers say will stop benefits checks from going to the deceased and save taxpayers significant money.
“On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the President signed into law: S. 269, the ‘Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act,’ which permanently allows sharing of death data to prevent and recover improper payments,” the White House announced in a statement.
Bipartisan Support in Divided Times
The legislation, introduced with sponsors from both parties including Senators John Kennedy (R-LA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Joni Ernst (R-IA), represents a rare moment of agreement in an otherwise polarized Congress. The bill passed with broad support after amendments were approved by unanimous consent.
Why has this issue gained traction now? For years, government agencies have struggled to coordinate their systems, resulting in millions of dollars sent to deceased Americans whose deaths weren’t properly recorded across all federal payment systems.
The new law amends section 205(r) of the Social Security Act, specifically improving coordination for cases where individuals are incorrectly identified as deceased — a bureaucratic nightmare for the living while also addressing the opposite problem of continued payments after death.
How It Works
The legislation requires the Social Security Commissioner to share comprehensive death data with Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system, which serves as a screening mechanism for government payments. Previously, this sharing was limited or temporary.
The permanent authorization gives Treasury officials access to death records that had been restricted before, allowing for better cross-checking before payments are issued. Senator Kennedy’s amendment, known as SA 3912, was incorporated into the final version, though specific details of the amendment weren’t immediately available.
The bill’s official name — “Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act” — states its purpose plainly enough. The legislation’s text makes clear that this isn’t a temporary fix but a permanent solution to a persistent problem.
Critics have long questioned why such a seemingly obvious solution took so long to implement. The answer lies partly in privacy concerns and the complex web of federal agencies that don’t always communicate effectively with one another.
With the law now signed, implementation will begin immediately, though the full impact on reducing improper payments may take months or years to fully assess. For taxpayers concerned about government waste, it’s a rare moment when fixing a bureaucratic problem might actually save real money — no death certificate required.
