I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2901 
To amend title VII of the Social Security Act to improve the Social Security 
Administration’s procedures to close or reduce access to field offices, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2019 
Ms. MOORE (for herself, Ms. GABBARD, Ms. WILD, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. 
PALLONE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, and Ms. NORTON) 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 improve 
the Social Security Administration’s procedures 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 2019’’. 
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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: 
‘‘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 comprehensive, convenient, and ac-
cessible services to the public; 
‘‘(2) meet current and projected workloads, in-
cluding consideration of anticipated workload or 
population changes identified through a service area 
review; 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: 
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‘‘(i) Permanently closing a field office, 
including by ending or electing not to 
renew a lease for a field office. 
‘‘(ii) Ending, or electing not to renew, 
a lease for any field office. 
‘‘(iii) Consolidating the field office 
with one or more other field offices. 
‘‘(iv) Any other action that would im-
pose a new limitation on public access or 
reduce in-person services at a field office. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION OF ANTICIPATED ACTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
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-
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tions such as relocation of the field office 
and the role, if any, played by the General 
Services Administration in contributing to 
such decision. 
‘‘(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. 
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‘‘(B) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—As 
soon as practicable and not later than 180 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 
Commissioner shall provide written notification 
to each member of Congress and Senator whose 
constituents are served by such field office. 
‘‘(C) LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION 
AND
INVOLVEMENT.—As soon as practicable 
and not later than 180 days before the date on 
which the Commissioner intends any action de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to a 
field office to take effect, the Commissioner 
shall provide written notification to any unit of 
local government within the service area of such 
field office and provide the opportunity for local 
governments to propose alternatives for such 
action. 
‘‘(3) OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.— 
‘‘(A) PUBLIC HEARING.—Not earlier than 
30 days and not later than 120 days after a no-
tification is published under paragraph (2) with 
respect to any action described in paragraph 
(1)(B) with respect to a field office, the Com-
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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 within the area 
served; 
‘‘(ii) describe the Social Security Ad-
ministration’s plan to mitigate disruption 
in service for the community served by the 
field office, including any special needs of 
the community and any anticipated impact 
on vulnerable populations such as the el-
derly, individuals with disabilities, and 
those with language or mobility challenges; 
and 
‘‘(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 
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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 alternatives proposed by local governments 
pursuant to paragraph (2)(c) and any public com-
ments received during the period described in para-
graph (3)(A). Such report shall include a response 
by the Commissioner to each unique written com-
ment received during such period. Not later than 3 
days after such report has been published, the Com-
missioner shall notify each person who submitted 
written comments under paragraph (3)(B). The 
Commissioner shall submit a copy of such report to 
each member of Congress identified pursuant to 
paragraph (2)(B), the Committees on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate, the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
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House of Representatives, and the Committee on Fi-
nance 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 reviewed any health and safety 
claims made by the Commissioner with respect to 
such action and 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 30 days after the date 
on which the Inspector General of the Social Security Ad-
ministration provides a written determination that the 
amendments made by subsection (a) have been fully imple-
mented by the Social Security Administration, except that 
in the case of such an action related to health and safety 
reviewed by the Inspector General, such action may take 
effect for a period not to exceed 30 days unless the Com-
missioner provides public notice explaining the need to ex-
tend such period. 
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