I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7146 
To amend title VII of the Social Security Act to establish a procedure 
to close or reduce access to field offices, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 16, 2018 
Ms. MOORE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend title VII of the Social Security Act to establish 
a procedure to close or reduce access to field offices, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maintain Access to 
Vital Social Security Services Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FIELD OFFICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 714. FIELD OFFICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner shall operate 
a sufficient number of field offices and employ an ade-
quate number of personnel at each field office to— 
‘‘(1) provide wide-ranging, convenient, and ac-
cessible services to the public; 
‘‘(2) meet current and projected workloads, tak-
ing into account any anticipated demographic shifts 
in the geographic area served by each field office; 
and 
‘‘(3) minimize wait-times at each field office. 
‘‘(b) PROCEDURE TO CLOSE OR REDUCE ACCESS TO 
A FIELD OFFICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) REQUIREMENT TO FOLLOW PROCE-
DURE.—The Commissioner may not take any 
action described in subparagraph (B) with re-
spect to a field office except in accordance with 
this subsection. 
‘‘(B) COVERED ACTIONS.—The actions de-
scribed in this subparagraph with respect to a 
field office are the following: 
‘‘(i) Closing the field office for a pe-
riod of more than 60 days. 
‘‘(ii) Ending, or electing not to renew, 
a lease for any field office. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:21 Nov 22, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iii) Consolidating the field office 
with one or more other field offices. 
‘‘(iv) Reassigning personnel of the 
field office to one or more other field of-
fices. 
‘‘(v) Any other action that would re-
sult in the field office reducing face-to-face 
services to the public. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION OF ANTICIPATED ACTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 
days before the date on which the Commis-
sioner intends any action described in para-
graph (1)(B) with respect to a field office to 
take effect, the Commissioner shall promulgate 
a public notification of such action that includes 
the following information: 
‘‘(i) An identification of the field of-
fice. 
‘‘(ii) The date on which such action is 
intended to take effect. 
‘‘(iii) The reasons for taking such ac-
tion, including, if applicable, the reasons 
for rejecting any available alternative ac-
tions such as relocation of the field office. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iv) The date, time, and location of 
the public hearings to be held pursuant to 
paragraph (3). 
‘‘(v) Any alternative means of receiv-
ing assistance related to social security 
which may be used by individuals served by 
the field office. 
‘‘(vi) Contact information, including 
by phone and Internet, by which individ-
uals may inquire for more information re-
lated to such action. 
In promulgating a notification under this para-
graph, the Commissioner shall post such notifi-
cation at the affected field office and other 
nearby field offices, mail such notification to 
residents in the area served by such field of-
fices, publish such notification in newspapers 
printed in such area, or take such other actions 
as the Commissioner determines to be nec-
essary. 
‘‘(B) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—As 
soon as practicable and not later than 90 days 
before the date on which the Commissioner in-
tends any action described in paragraph (1)(B) 
with respect to a field office to take effect, the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
Commissioner shall provide written notification 
to each member of Congress and Senator whose 
constituents are served by such field office. 
‘‘(3) OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.— 
‘‘(A) PUBLIC HEARING.—Not earlier than 
30 days and not later than 60 days after a noti-
fication is published under paragraph (2) with 
respect to any action described in paragraph 
(1)(B) with respect to a field office, the Com-
missioner shall hold not fewer than two public 
hearings in the geographic area served by the 
field office, at which the Commissioner shall— 
‘‘(i) present the reasons for taking 
such action, including the criteria used to 
select the field office for such action and, 
if applicable, the reasons for rejecting any 
available alternative actions such as reloca-
tion of the field office; 
‘‘(ii) address whether impacts on vul-
nerable populations, such as the elderly 
population, the disabled population, and 
those with language proficiency or mobility 
challenges, were considered; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iii) provide an opportunity for pub-
lic comment, including an opportunity to 
recommend alternatives to such action. 
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION
OF
WRITTEN
COM-
MENTS.—The Commissioner shall accept writ-
ten comments from the public relating to such 
action during the period described in subpara-
graph (A), which shall be posted on the website 
of the Social Security Administration. 
‘‘(4) PUBLIC REPORT ON HEARING.—Not later 
than 15 days before the date on which any action 
described in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to a field 
office takes effect, the Commissioner shall promi-
nently publish on the website of the Social Security 
Administration a written report that describes the 
action the Commissioner intends to take with re-
spect to the field office after giving full consideration 
to any public comments received during the period 
described in paragraph (3)(A). Such report shall in-
clude a response by the Commissioner, to the extent 
the Commissioner determines to be practicable, to 
each unique written comment received during such 
period. Not later than 3 days after such report has 
been published, the Commissioner shall notify each 
person who submitted written comments under para-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
graph (3)(B). The Commissioner shall submit a copy 
of such report to the Committees on Appropriations 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Finance of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(5) APPROVAL
BY
INSPECTOR
GENERAL
OF 
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.—No action 
described in paragraph (1)(B) may go into effect 
until the Inspector General of the Social Security 
Administration has determined that the Commis-
sioner substantially and procedurally complied with 
all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines with 
respect to such action.’’. 
(b) MORATORIUM.—The Commissioner may not take 
any action described in section 714(b)(1)(B) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 914(b)(1)(B)) with respect to a 
field office until the date that is 180 days after the date 
on which the Inspector General of the Social Security Ad-
ministration determines that the amendments made by 
subsection (a) have been fully implemented by the Social 
Security Administration, except that in the case of such 
an action related to health and safety, such action may 
take effect for a period not to exceed 30 days unless the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
Commissioner provides public notice explaining the need 
to extend such period. 
SEC. 3. ANNUAL BUDGET. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 704(b)(1)(B) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 904(b)(1)(B)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ and all that follows through 
the end and inserting the following: ‘‘subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) an itemization of the amount of funds required 
by the Social Security Administration for the fiscal year 
covered by the budget to support efforts to combat fraud 
committed by applicants and beneficiaries; and 
‘‘(ii) a list of any field offices with respect to which 
the Social Security Administration intends to take any ac-
tion described in section 714(b)(1)(B) during the fiscal 
year covered by the budget.’’. 
(b) DISPLAY ON WEBSITE.—Section 704(b)(1) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 904(b)(1)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) Not later than 7 days after the submission of 
an annual budget prepared pursuant to subparagraph (A), 
the Commissioner shall make available on the website of 
the Social Security Administration the information de-
scribed in clause (ii) of subparagraph (B).’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS OF SOCIAL SECURITY ADVI-
SORY BOARD. 
Section 703(b)(4) of title VII of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 903(b)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘public’’ 
and inserting ‘‘public, taking into account the impact of 
closing field offices on the quality of service to individuals 
with disabilities or language barriers or other vulnerable 
populations’’. 
SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Commissioner shall submit to the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
a report that— 
(1) includes a list of all field offices closed dur-
ing the 5-year period ending on the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the reason for each such closure, 
and any impacts of each such closure on wait-times 
and staffing at nearby affected field offices; and 
(2) describes a plan— 
(A) to ensure that field offices are receiv-
ing sufficient resources to maintain at least the 
level of constituent services provided in the pre-
vious fiscal year; and 
(B) to adequately address the increasing 
number of individuals projected to use field of-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
fices during the 10-year period beginning on the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:55 Nov 19, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7146.IH
H7146
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS