This bill puts strict new rules in place to protect Social Security field offices from being closed or having their services reduced. Right now, the Social Security Administration can close offices with little warning or public input. This bill changes that by requiring the agency to follow a detailed process before closing any office or cutting back services.

Here's what has to happen before a field office can close: The agency must give the public at least 180 days' notice, notify Congress members and local governments in the affected area, hold at least two public hearings where people can voice concerns and suggest alternatives, and accept written comments from the public. The agency must then publish a detailed report explaining why it's closing the office and how it responded to public feedback. Even after all that, the Social Security Administration's Inspector General has to review the decision and confirm the agency followed all the rules before the closure can actually happen.

The bill also sets a minimum staffing requirement—the Social Security Administration can't reduce the total number of field office employees below what it had on January 1, 2025. This protects against the agency quietly shrinking its workforce. Additionally, the bill requires the agency to report back to Congress within six months with information about all offices closed in the past five years and a plan to ensure field offices have enough resources to serve people over the next decade.