[House Report 119-360]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-360
======================================================================
IMPROVING SOCIAL SECURITY'S SERVICE TO VICTIMS OF IDENTITY THEFT ACT
_______
October 31, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Smith of Missouri, from the Committee on Ways and Means, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
together with
ADDITIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 5345]
The Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 5345) to amend title VII of the Social Security Act
to provide for a single point of contact at the Social Security
Administration for individuals who are victims of identity
theft, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do
pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND........................................... 2
A. Purpose and Summary................................. 2
B. Background and Need for Legislation................. 2
C. Legislative History................................. 3
D. Designated Hearing.................................. 4
II. EXPLANATION OF THE BILL.......................................... 4
A. Present Law......................................... 4
B. Reasons for Change.................................. 4
C. Explanation of Provisions........................... 4
III. VOTES OF THE COMMITTEE........................................... 5
IV. BUDGET EFFECTS OF THE BILL....................................... 6
A. Committee Estimate of Budgetary Effects............. 6
B. Statement Regarding New Budget Authority and Tax
Expenditures Budget Authority...................... 6
C. Cost Estimate Prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office............................................. 6
V. OTHER MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED UNDER THE RULES OF THE HOUSE....... 7
A. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations.... 7
B. Statement of General Performance Goals and
Objectives......................................... 7
C. Information Relating to Unfunded Mandates........... 7
D. Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and
Limited Tariff Benefits............................ 7
E. Duplication of Federal Programs..................... 7
VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED............ 7
VII. ADDITIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL VIEWS................................ 9
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Social Security's Service to
Victims of Identity Theft Act''.
SEC. 2. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 901
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 714. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS.
``(a) In General.--The Commissioner of Social Security shall
establish and implement procedures to ensure that any individual whose
social security account number has been misused (such as to
fraudulently obtain benefits under title II, VIII, or XVI of this Act,
or in a manner that affects an individual's records at the Social
Security Administration, or in a manner that prompts the individual to
request a new social security account number) or whose Social Security
card has been lost in the course of transmission to the individual has
a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration
throughout the resolution of the individual's case. The single point of
contact shall track the individual's case to completion and coordinate
with other units to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
``(b) Single Point of Contact.--
``(1) In general.--For purposes of subsection (a), the single
point of contact shall consist of a team or subset of specially
trained employees who--
``(A) have the ability to coordinate with other units
to resolve the issues involved in the individual's
case, and
``(B) shall be accountable for the case until its
resolution.
``(2) Team or subset.--The employees included within the team
or subset described in paragraph (1) may change as required to
meet the needs of the Social Security Administration, provided
that procedures have been established to--
``(A) ensure continuity of records and case history,
and
``(B) notify the individual when appropriate.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take
effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
I. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND
A. Purpose and Summary
The bill, H.R. 5345, the ``Improving Social Security's
Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act,'' as ordered reported
by the Committee on Ways and Means on September 17, 2025,
amends Title VII of the Social Security Act to require the
Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide a single point
of contact to any individual who needs to resolve a problem
with the SSA because of misuse of his or her Social Security
number (SSN), or because his or her Social Security card has
been lost in the mail. The bill aims to make it easier and less
confusing for a victim of identity theft or an individual with
a compromised SSN to resolve issues related to the misuse of
his or her SSN or loss of his or her Social Security card by
providing a single point of contact within the SSA until all
associated issues are resolved.
B. Background and Need for Legislation
Identity theft is a serious issue affecting tens of
millions of Americans annually. In 2024, there were more than
3,100 reported data breaches that resulted in the issuance of
roughly 1.3 billion mandatory data breach notices to
victims.\1\ Of the 3,100 breaches, more than 1,800 included
SSNs.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\2024 Data Breach Report, Identity Theft Resource Center (January
2025).
\2\2024 Data Breach Report, Identity Theft Resource Center (January
2025).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The SSN is an increasingly attractive target for fraudsters
due to its widespread use as an identifier and authenticator in
both the public and private sectors. SSN misuse--when a person
other than the rightful numberholder incorrectly or improperly
uses an SSN--can create additional difficulties for identity
theft victims if they need to contact the SSA to disclaim
fraudulently claimed benefits, correct earnings records, or
apply for a new SSN.
Resolving an issue related to SSN misuse can be complex and
may require an individual to face multiple, different processes
requiring him or her to speak to multiple, different SSA
employees before the issue is resolved. If an individual's SSN
has previously been used to file a fraudulent claim, there is
no guarantee that he or she will have the same point of contact
within the SSA to resolve subsequent fraudulent claims. In each
of these circumstances, the identity theft victim could end up
speaking with multiple, different employees to resolve the
issue.
Further, when a Social Security card is lost in the mail,
an individual has no choice but to contact the SSA to identify
their SSN and to request a replacement card. The loss of a
newborn child's Social Security card is especially complex
because parents or guardians have no knowledge of the child's
SSN and have limited identifying information for the child.
C. Legislative History
Background
H.R. 5345 was introduced on September 15, 2025, and was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Committee Hearings
The Committee on Ways and Means held the following
hearing(s) concerning the policy in H.R. 5345:
On June 25, 2025, the Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Social Security and Subcommittee on Work and
Welfare held a joint hearing on held a hearing with the
Commissioner of Social Security, Frank J. Bisignano. This
hearing facilitated discussions relating to the SSA's current
policies relating to the prevention of fraud and abuse of the
program, while prioritizing the security of the customer's
personal identifiable information and streamlining their
service experience.
Committee Action
The Committee on Ways and Means marked up H.R. 5345, the
Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity
Theft, on September 17, 2025, and ordered the bill, as amended,
favorably reported (with a quorum being present).
D. Designated Hearing
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII, the following
hearing was used to develop and consider H.R. 5345:
Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security
and Subcommittee on Work and Welfare held a joint hearing on
held a hearing with the Commissioner of Social Security, Frank
J. Bisignano.
II. EXPLANATION OF THE BILL
A. Present Law
Current law does not require the SSA to provide a single
point of contact to individuals whose SSNs have been misused or
whose Social Security card has been lost in the mail. SSA
policies may require an individual to be in contact with
multiple SSA offices, employees, or both, to resolve an issue
depending on the type of misuse, or whether it was identified
by the individual or the SSA.
B. Reasons for Change
When a person other than the rightful numberholder
incorrectly or improperly uses a numberholder's SSN, this
misuse can cause difficulty for identity theft victims. It is
the view of the Committee that an individual who has been a
victim of identity theft that results in misuse of his or her
SSN or whose Social Security card has been lost in the mail
should not have added difficulty when interacting with the SSA
by having to deal with multiple contacts at the SSA to resolve
problems associated with the misuse or loss.
When an individual's SSN has been misused or when his or
her Social Security card has been lost in the mail, he or she
may subsequently need to contact the SSA to resolve issues
related to fraudulent claiming of benefits, to correct his or
her SSA records, or to apply for a new SSN. In every case, the
Committee believes the individual should have a single point of
contact at the SSA. The Committee is aware that the list of
situations in the bill text for which a single point of contact
for an identity theft victim is necessary is not exhaustive and
expects the Commissioner of the SSA to provide a single point
of contact in all instances that reflect the spirit and intent
of this legislation.
C. Explanation of Provisions
Section 1. Short Title
Provides the short title of the bill as the ``Improving
Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act''.
Section 2. Single Point of Contact for Identity Theft Victims
Requires the SSA to provide a single point of contact to
individuals seeking to resolve an issue or issues with the SSA
related to the misuse of his or her SSN or when his or her
Social Security card has been lost in the course of
transmission. This section also provides a non-exhaustive list
of reasons an individual may need to contact the SSA due to SSN
misuse or loss by mail. The single point of contact must track
the individual's case to completion and coordinate with other
specialized units to resolve causes issues as quickly as
possible.
EFFECTIVE DATE
The bill would become effective 180 days following the date
of enactment.
III. VOTES OF THE COMMITTEE
In compliance with the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following statement is made concerning the
vote of the Committee on Ways and Means during the markup
consideration of H.R. 5345, the ``Improving Social Security's
Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act,'' on September 17,
2025.
The vote on the amendment offered by Mr. Larson to the
amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5345, which
would make H.R. 5345 not take effect until the staffing at the
Social Security Administration is restored to at least the
level on January 19, 2025, was not agreed to by a roll call
vote of 14 yeas to 24 nays (with a quorum being present). The
vote was as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative Yea Nay Present Representative Yea Nay Present
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Smith (MO)..................... ...... X ......... Mr. Neal............. X ...... .........
Mr. Buchanan....................... ...... X ......... Mr. Doggett.......... X ...... .........
Mr. Smith (NE)..................... ...... X ......... Mr. Thompson......... X ...... .........
Mr. Kelly.......................... ...... X ......... Mr. Larson........... X ...... .........
Mr. Schweikert..................... ...... X ......... Mr. Davis............ X ...... .........
Mr. LaHood......................... ...... ...... ......... Ms. Sanchez.......... ...... ...... .........
Mr. Arrington...................... ...... X ......... Ms. Sewell........... ...... ...... .........
Mr. Estes.......................... ...... X ......... Ms. DelBene.......... X ...... .........
Mr. Smucker........................ ...... X ......... Ms. Chu.............. X ...... .........
Mr. Hern........................... ...... X ......... Ms. Moore............ X ...... .........
Mrs. Miller........................ ...... X ......... Mr. Boyle............ X ...... .........
Dr. Murphy......................... ...... ...... ......... Mr. Beyer............ X ...... .........
Mr. Kustoff........................ ...... X ......... Mr. Evans............ X ...... .........
Mr. Fitzpatrick.................... ...... X ......... Mr. Schneider........ ...... ...... .........
Mr. Steube......................... ...... X ......... Mr. Panetta.......... ...... ...... .........
Ms. Tenney......................... ...... X ......... Mr. Gomez............ X ...... .........
Mrs. Fischbach..................... ...... X ......... Mr. Horsford......... X ...... .........
Mr. Moore.......................... ...... X ......... Ms. Plaskett......... X ...... .........
Ms. Van Duyne...................... ...... X ......... Mr. Suozzi........... ...... ...... .........
Mr. Feenstra....................... ...... X .........
Ms. Malliotakis.................... ...... X .........
Mr. Carey.......................... ...... X .........
Mr. Yakym.......................... ...... X .........
Mr. Miller......................... ...... X .........
Mr. Bean........................... ...... X .........
Mr. Moran.......................... ...... X .........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In compliance with the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following statement is made concerning the
vote of the Committee on Ways and Means during the markup
consideration of H.R. 5345, the ``Improving Social Security's
Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act,'' on September 17,
2025.
H.R. 5345 was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives as amended by a roll call vote of 39 yeas to 1
nay (with a quorum being present). The vote was as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative Yea Nay Present Representative Yea Nay Present
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Smith (MO)..................... X ...... ......... Mr. Neal............. X ...... .........
Mr. Buchanan....................... X ...... ......... Mr. Doggett.......... X ...... .........
Mr. Smith (NE)..................... X ...... ......... Mr. Thompson......... X ...... .........
Mr. Kelly.......................... X ...... ......... Mr. Larson........... ...... X .........
Mr. Schweikert..................... X ...... ......... Mr. Davis............ X ...... .........
Mr. LaHood......................... ...... ...... ......... Ms. Sanchez.......... ...... ...... .........
Mr. Arrington...................... X ...... ......... Ms. Sewell........... ...... ...... .........
Mr. Estes.......................... X ...... ......... Ms. DelBene.......... X ...... .........
Mr. Smucker........................ X ...... ......... Ms. Chu.............. X ...... .........
Mr. Hern........................... X ...... ......... Ms. Moore............ X ...... .........
Mrs. Miller........................ X ...... ......... Mr. Boyle............ X ...... .........
Dr. Murphy......................... ...... ...... ......... Mr. Beyer............ X ...... .........
Mr. Kustoff........................ X ...... ......... Mr. Evans............ X ...... .........
Mr. Fitzpatrick.................... X ...... ......... Mr. Schneider........ X ...... .........
Mr. Steube......................... X ...... ......... Mr. Panetta.......... ...... ...... .........
Ms. Tenney......................... X ...... ......... Mr. Gomez............ X ...... .........
Mrs. Fischbach..................... X ...... ......... Mr. Horsford......... X ...... .........
Mr. Moore.......................... X ...... ......... Ms. Plaskett......... X ...... .........
Ms. Van Duyne...................... X ...... ......... Mr. Suozzi........... X ...... .........
Mr. Feenstra....................... X ...... .........
Ms. Malliotakis.................... X ...... .........
Mr. Carey.......................... X ...... .........
Mr. Yakym.......................... X ...... .........
Mr. Miller......................... X ...... .........
Mr. Bean........................... X ...... .........
Mr. Moran.......................... X ...... .........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. BUDGET EFFECTS OF THE BILL
A. Committee Estimate of Budgetary Effects
With respect to clause 3(d) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, a cost estimate provided by the
Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report.
B. Statement Regarding New Budget Authority and Tax
Expenditures Budget Authority
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee states that the
bill involved no new or increased budget authority. The
Committee states further that the bill involves no new or
increased tax expenditures.
C. Cost Estimate Prepared by the Congressional
Budget Office
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect
to requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Chairman of the
Committee shall cause such estimate and statement to be printed
in the Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.
V. OTHER MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED UNDER THE RULES OF THE HOUSE
A. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
With respect to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee made findings and
recommendations that are reflected in this report.
B. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
With respect to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the
bill does not authorize funding, so no statement of general
performance goals and objectives is required.
C. Information Relating to Unfunded Mandates
This information is provided in accordance with section 423
of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-
4).
The Committee has determined that the bill does not contain
Federal mandates on the private sector. The Committee has
determined that the bill does not impose a Federal
intergovernmental mandate on State, local, or tribal
governments.
D. Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits
With respect to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee has carefully reviewed
the provisions of the bill, and states that the provisions of
the bill do not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax
benefits, or limited tariff benefits within the meaning of the
rule.
E. Duplication of Federal Programs
In compliance with clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee states that no
provision of the bill establishes or reauthorizes: (1) a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program; (2) a program included in any report
from the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant
to section 21 of Public Law 111-139; or (3) a program related
to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance, published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Pub. L. No. 95-220, as amended by Pub. L. No.
98-169).
VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
A. Changes in Existing Law Proposed by the Bill, as Reported
Pursuant to clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the
bill, as reported, are shown as follows.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is
printed in italics and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE VII--ADMINISTRATION
* * * * * * *
SEC. 714. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS.
(a) In General.--The Commissioner of Social Security shall
establish and implement procedures to ensure that any
individual whose social security account number has been
misused (such as to fraudulently obtain benefits under title
II, VIII, or XVI of this Act, or in a manner that affects an
individual's records at the Social Security Administration, or
in a manner that prompts the individual to request a new social
security account number) or whose Social Security card has been
lost in the course of transmission to the individual has a
single point of contact at the Social Security Administration
throughout the resolution of the individual's case. The single
point of contact shall track the individual's case to
completion and coordinate with other units to resolve issues as
quickly as possible.
(b) Single Point of Contact.--
(1) In general.--For purposes of subsection (a), the
single point of contact shall consist of a team or
subset of specially trained employees who--
(A) have the ability to coordinate with other
units to resolve the issues involved in the
individual's case, and
(B) shall be accountable for the case until
its resolution.
(2) Team or subset.--The employees included within
the team or subset described in paragraph (1) may
change as required to meet the needs of the Social
Security Administration, provided that procedures have
been established to--
(A) ensure continuity of records and case
history, and
(B) notify the individual when appropriate.
* * * * * * *
VII. ADDITIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL VIEWS
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
Thank you, Mr. Neal. And thank you, Mr. Chairman. And let
me say to my colleagues as well, both on the previous bill and
this bill as well. As I think all of you are well aware of my
deep and abiding concern about Social Security, as I believe
you are as well. As you may know, I was the proud co-lead of
Improving Social Security's Service to the, ``Victims of
Identity Theft Act'' in the last Congress, and worked with our
former colleague, Dr. Drew Ferguson, to pass it [in] the House
on a bipartisan basis. Identity theft scams are on the rise,
and I still believe that this bill offers a commonsense
solution. But a lot has changed in a year, and I cannot vote
for this bill as it stands.
As I said before, identity theft is on the rise, and it
should shock everyone that we have an Administration looking
the other way while every American's data has been put at risk.
This bill aims to provide a single point of contact at [the]
Social Security Administration (SSA) to assist victims of
identity theft.
However, the current biggest threat to Americans' identity
is DOGE, and we've repeatedly asked for them to come before
this committee. And to date, we've heard crickets. Last month,
thanks to a brave whistleblower, Charles Borges, that came
forward, we now know that DOGE copied private and sensitive
information from Social Security to a vulnerable cloud. That
should alarm everyone, not just people on Social Security, but
everyone. That [data] includes the names, addresses, birth
dates and Social Security numbers of more than 300 million
Americans. And we have no clue where the data is.
Last week, I asked Chairman Estes if we could bring the
whistleblower forward for a hearing, and he couldn't commit to
it. In June, when the Supreme Court allowed DOGE to step in and
access Americans' personal records, Democrats warned that
everyone's privacy was at risk. I wrote Chairman Smith,
demanding an immediate markup on our bill, ``Protecting
Americans' Social Security Data Act'', our bill to block
unvetted DOGE minions from accessing these sensitive records.
Do we really want to tell our constituents that we are allowing
their data to be put at risk to identity theft?
It's great that [we can] give you a single point of contact
to help deal with a life-wrecking fallout. It's great that we
can put something forward to help victims of identity theft,
but how is it going to reassure the American people, when DOGE
just put 300 million of them at risk with identity theft? 300
million? Well, Mr. Chairman, what do you think? If we don't
investigate this whistleblower complaint as hard as we did
Hunter Biden's laptop, what are we doing here? I know
discussing Hillary Clinton's emails was very popular, but I
guess taking action to protect our constituents is not.
We should be taking up my resolution of inquiry to compel
answers about why the vulnerable cloud was built, and what
information has been accessed. I intend on introducing it as an
amendment. And at the same time [that] they are copying your
data, Elon Musk has also been cutting 7,000 staff at SSA. The
point of contact should be a real person, not an AI chatbot.
Sincerely,
John B. Larson.
SUPPLEMENTAL VIEWS
Privacy is next to liberty in our democratic system, yet
Americans' right to privacy is under attack. Ways and Means
Democrats have feared and warned of this moment: the former
Chief Data Officer of the Social Security Administration (SSA)
has made a stunning whistleblower report alleging the Trump
Administration has recklessly put at risk Americans' personal
data. According to the whistleblower, Trump Administration
employees with the ``Department of Government Efficiency''
(DOGE) copied highly sensitive Social Security data on over 300
million people from a secure federal database into a vulnerable
cloud environment. As the whistleblower notes:
``Should bad actors gain access to this
cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to
widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare
and food benefits, and the government may be
responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social
Security Number at great cost.''
``These actions constitute violations of
laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross
mismanagement, and creation of a substantial and
specific threat to public health and safety.''
Every American should be concerned with the protection and
use of their private data housed throughout the federal
government, including at SSA. Identity theft is a threat too
many have already experienced. While H.R. 5345 will help some
victims of identity theft under very specific circumstances,
this bill will do little for the more than 300 million
Americans whose private Social Security data has been allegedly
put at risk.
The risks are real: Americans' personal data may have been
leaked, lost, sold, or used to enrich a few. It is imperative
Republicans join us in safeguarding Americans' data and seeking
answers to the public's questions: why did the Trump
Administration copy a file with the sensitive Social Security
data of more than 300 million Americans into a vulnerable cloud
environment, who has accessed it, and will the public ever know
if a breach has occurred? Executive oversight is a fundamental
responsibility of Congress. It has been more than a month since
the whistleblower came forward, yet our Republican colleagues
in the Majority have failed to hold a hearing so that DOGE
employees embedded at SSA can account for their actions.
Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Larson put
forward an amendment to H.R. 5345 to seek critical information
into how and why the Trump Administration recklessly put at
risk Americans' Social Security data.
Ways and Means Democrats are fighting to protect Americans
from having their personal Social Security information
politicized or bought and sold to the highest bidder, or their
Social Security benefits put at risk. Yet the Majority voted to
reject this amendment, allowing the Trump Administration to
hide in the darkness from the public and Congress, unchecked as
it rifles through the American people's data.
Sincerely,
Richard E. Neal,
Ranking Member.
[all]