I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3468 
To require the Commissioner of Social Security, the Administrator of the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Commissioner of Inter-
nal Revenue, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development to certify to Congress that any planned 
staffing cuts or regional field office closures will not impact the provision 
of Congressionally-authorized services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2025 
Ms. SHERRILL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy 
and Commerce, Veterans’ Affairs, and Financial Services, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Commissioner of Social Security, the Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development to certify to Congress that any 
planned staffing cuts or regional field office closures 
will not impact the provision of Congressionally-author-
ized services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Retirement 
and Health Benefits for Families Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CERTIFICATION TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The head of a covered agency 
shall certify to Congress before carrying out a covered ac-
tivity that such covered activity will not impact the provi-
sion of services or benefits by such covered agency in a 
manner that— 
(1) reduces the receipt of benefits or financial 
assistance from a covered agency by individuals who 
are eligible for, or entitled to, such benefits or finan-
cial assistance; 
(2) increases delays in the receipt of benefits or 
financial assistance from a covered agency, or in the 
response times of a covered agency to inquiries 
about benefit or financial assistance receipt, by indi-
viduals who are eligible for, or entitled to, such bene-
fits or financial assistance; or 
(3) limits the ability of the staff of a covered 
agency to conduct outreach or other activities de-
signed to increase the receipt of benefits or financial 
assistance from a covered agency by individuals who 
are eligible for, or entitled to, such benefits or finan-
cial assistance. 
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(b) REPORT.—Along with each certification required 
by subsection (a), the head of a covered agency shall sub-
mit a report to Congress explaining how the head of the 
agency will shift resources or operational procedures of the 
agency to ensure that carrying out the covered activity 
does not impact the provision of services or benefits by 
that covered agency in a manner described under para-
graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), including how 
the head of the covered agency will shift resources or oper-
ational procedures of the agency to prevent the covered 
activity from— 
(1) causing staffing shortages that reduce the 
ability of the covered agency to process benefit 
claims and send out benefit payments; 
(2) leading to increases in phone and walk-in 
wait times for benefits-related inquiries; 
(3) reducing the level or intensity of outreach 
efforts designed to boost the receipt of benefits by 
individuals eligible for those benefits; 
(4) harming the ability of the head of such cov-
ered agency to conduct regulatory, investigatory, and 
enforcement functions that protect the public, ensure 
compliance with applicable laws, and prevent fraud, 
waste, and abuse; and 
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(5) harming the ability of the head of such cov-
ered agency to fulfill statutory and administrative 
mandates related to the core functions of the agen-
cy, including those not explicitly tied to direct bene-
fits disbursement but integral to public service, fi-
nancial administration, support for State and munic-
ipal housing authorities, health care oversight, tax 
administration, or the administration of veterans’ 
health care and education benefits. 
(c) INSPECTOR GENERAL STUDY AND REPORT.— 
With respect to each covered activity carried out by the 
head of a covered agency, the Inspector General concerned 
shall, not later than 1 year after the head of a covered 
agency submits the certification required by subsection (a) 
with respect to such activity, and one year after the head 
of such agency carries out such activity— 
(1) study whether carrying out such covered ac-
tivity has impacted the provision of services or bene-
fits by that covered agency in a manner described 
under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a); 
and 
(2) submit a report to Congress on the results 
of such study. 
(d) REVERSAL OF COVERED ACTIVITY.—If an In-
spector General determines under the study required by 
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subsection (b) that carrying out a covered activity effected 
the provision of services or benefits by a covered agency 
in a manner described under paragraphs (1) through (3) 
of subsection (a), the head of such covered agency shall 
reverse the covered activity, including by— 
(1) reinstating any laid-off staff; and 
(2) reopening shuttered regional field offices. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) COVERED
ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘covered 
activity’’ means— 
(A) any planned staffing cuts under which 
the head of a covered agency expects to reduce 
the overall staffing level of such covered agency 
by over five percent in a single year; 
(B) any planned regional field office clo-
sures under which the head of a covered agency 
expects to reduce the overall number of regional 
field offices of such covered agency by over five 
percent in a single year; 
(C) any budget reallocation, funding reces-
sion, or structural reorganization that would re-
sult in a measurable reduction in the ability of 
the covered agency to provide timely and effec-
tive 
services, 
including 
processing 
claims, 
issuing refunds or benefits, responding to public 
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inquiries, enforcing regulatory obligations, and 
conducting outreach or compliance activities; or 
(D) any restructuring of enforcement, in-
vestigatory, or regulatory activities that could 
significantly weaken beneficiary or taxpayer 
protections, reduce agency oversight capabili-
ties, or increase risks of fraud, waste, or abuse 
in programs administered by such covered agen-
cy. 
(2) COVERED
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘covered 
agency’’ means the following: 
(A) The Social Security Administration. 
(B) The Centers for Medicare and Med-
icaid Service. 
(C) The Internal Revenue Service. 
(D) The Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(E) The Department of Housing and 
Urban Development. 
(3) INSPECTOR
GENERAL
CONCERNED.—The 
term ‘‘Inspector General concerned’’ means— 
(A) with respect to the Social Security Ad-
ministration, the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, and the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, the Inspector General of 
the applicable agency; 
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(B) with respect to the Centers for Medi-
care and Medicaid Services, the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Health and Human 
Services; and 
(C) with respect to the Internal Revenue 
Services, the Treasury IG for Tax Administra-
tion. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date that is one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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