The SSA Reform Act of 2025 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to alert the Social Security Administration (SSA) within 180 days whenever a person who has been issued a Social Security number experiences a change in citizenship status, immigration status, or work authorization status. It also would prohibit any month-by-month SSA benefits for individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States, effectively tying eligibility for a wide range of SSA-administered programs (including Social Security benefits, Medicare, and related state-administered programs) to current citizenship status. The bill creates a joint, annual reporting requirement to Congress on notification activity, timeliness, implementation barriers, fraud prevention effectiveness, and interagency data-sharing practices. In short, it mothers tighter cross-agency notification and imposes citizenship-based limits on SSA benefits.
Key Points
- 1DHS-to-SSA notification requirement: DHS must notify SSA within 180 days after any change in an individual’s citizenship, immigration status, or work authorization status for someone who has an issued Social Security number.
- 2Annual joint report to Congress: Beginning one year after enactment, DHS and SSA must annually report metrics on notifications, notification timeliness, implementation challenges, fraud prevention outcomes, and data-sharing coordination and security.
- 3Citizenship-based benefit limitation: For any month in which a person is not a citizen or national of the United States, that person would be ineligible for a wide range of SSA benefits (including Social Security retirement/disability, Medicare, Medicaid-related programs, State health and welfare programs, SSI, child health programs, and other SSA-administered benefits).
- 4Clear short title: The act is titled the Social Security for Americans Reform Act of 2025 (SSA Reform Act of 2025).
- 5Jurisdiction and committees: Introduced in the House and referred to the Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce; indicates proposed changes spanning immigration, social security, health programs, and welfare policy.