H.R. 1876: Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act
Sponsor
John Larson
Democrat · CT-1
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Mar 5, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Keep Social Security help close to home
Why it matters
At stake is your nearest Social Security office. H.R. 1876 would block most closures until at least January 21, 2029, then require 120 days' notice, 2 public hearings, and a plan to replace lost access before any future shutdown.
H.R. 1876 puts an immediate freeze on most Social Security office closures, consolidations, and new limits on public access. That freeze covers field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations.
The moratorium lasts until 180 days after the Social Security commissioner sends Congress a report explaining how closure decisions are made. But the bill says that report cannot be sent before January 21, 2029, so the shutdown freeze is built to last at least that long, aside from temporary emergency closures.
After that, the bill sets a long checklist before an office can be closed or access can be reduced. The agency would have to give at least 120 days' public notice, explain how service will be replaced within 30 days, and hold at least 2 public hearings spaced at least 10 days apart.
The bill also gives communities and lawmakers time to react. Congress must get a final report at least 30 days before any closure, and people affected could challenge the decision through an administrative hearing.
One provision goes further than a notice rule: the total number of Social Security offices and stations could not fall below the number that existed on January 20, 2025. In plain English, H.R. 1876 does not just slow future closures—it tries to lock in the current footprint.
H.R. 1876 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1876 actually does.
Most office closures stop for years
Starting when H.R. 1876 becomes law, the Social Security Administration could not close or consolidate field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations, or add new access limits. That freeze lasts until 180 days after a required report goes to Congress, and the bill says that report cannot be submitted before January 21, 2029.
Emergency shutdowns can still happen
The bill allows temporary closures or access limits during emergencies. That means short-term actions for events like natural disasters would still be permitted.
You get 120 days' warning
Before any later closure, consolidation, or access reduction, the agency would have to give public notice at least 120 days in advance. The bill says that notice should include direct mail when practical, local community outlets such as newspapers, and postings in heavily used public spaces.
The agency has to face the public
At least 2 public hearings would be required before a location could close or lose access. The first hearing could not happen until at least 30 days after notice, the last must happen at least 45 days before the change, and the hearings must be at least 10 days apart.
Lost access must be replaced quickly
The public notice must explain how the agency will replace lost access within 30 days after a closure or consolidation. That could mean a new office, more access at another site, or another replacement plan.
Office numbers cannot fall below the 2025 baseline
H.R. 1876 sets a permanent floor: the total number of Social Security offices and stations could not drop below the number operating on January 20, 2025.
Who benefits from H.R. 1876?
People who need in-person Social Security help
If you cannot solve a benefits problem online or over the phone, this bill is aimed at keeping a nearby office available. That matters for retirement claims, disability cases, survivor benefits, and identity or payment problems.
Older adults and people with disabilities
The bill specifically requires the agency to consider transportation and communication burdens on elderly and disabled people before reducing access. That means longer drives, limited internet access, and mobility barriers would have to be addressed in the public process.
Rural and smaller communities
If the next nearest office is a long drive away, a closure hits harder. H.R. 1876 gives those communities advance notice, hearings, and a permanent floor tied to the number of offices open on January 20, 2025.
Members of Congress and local advocates trying to stop closures
The bill gives them more leverage by requiring formal notice, hearings, and a final report to Congress before an office can be closed. That creates more chances to slow, challenge, or reverse a decision.
Who is affected by H.R. 1876?
Social Security Administration leadership
Agency leaders would lose the ability to make most office-network changes right away. Even after the moratorium ends, they would face a slower process with hearings, reporting, and a permanent minimum office count.
Staff planning consolidations or access changes
Managers would have to build a paper trail before changing a location: 120-day notice, at least 2 hearings, replacement-access planning, and a report to Congress 30 days before the action.
Communities where offices might otherwise close
Residents would get more time to respond and more formal ways to challenge a decision. They would also have clearer information about how service is supposed to be replaced.
Taxpayers and budget planners
Any savings from consolidating offices could be delayed or blocked. The bill requires the agency to analyze expected savings and replacement costs, but it does not include a dollar estimate of the overall budget impact.
HR1876 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Mar 5, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
About the Sponsor
John Larson
Democrat, Connecticut's 1st congressional district · 27 years in Congress
Committees: Ways and Means
View full profile →
Cosponsors (129)
All 129 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 34 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 31 more.
Richard Neal
Democrat · MA
Danny Davis
Democrat · IL
Steven Horsford
Democrat · NV
Nydia Velázquez
Democrat · NY
Sanford Bishop
Democrat · GA
Christopher Deluzio
Democrat · PA
Jerrold Nadler
Democrat · NY
Rashida Tlaib
Democrat · MI
Sara Jacobs
Democrat · CA
Raúl Grijalva
Democrat · AZ
Bennie Thompson
Democrat · MS
Jonathan Jackson
Democrat · IL
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Ways and Means Committee
16 of 45 committee members cosponsored
3 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 1876 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 704 of Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 904)
adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(f)(1) Field and Hearing Offices and Resident Stations
H.R. 1876 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Ways and Means
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Social Welfare
- Introduced
- Mar 5, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Mar 5, 2025
Official Sources
Official congressional bill page with status, text, actions, and cosponsors for the Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act.
Official SSA tool for finding local field offices, directly relevant to the bill's focus on preventing office closures and preserving in-person access.
Official SSA hearings manual relevant to the bill's provisions affecting hearing offices and administrative processes.
Official SSA page explaining how the public can reach the agency and obtain service, relevant to closures, access limits, and replacement access plans.
Official U.S. Code page for the statute H.R. 1876 would amend to add closure and public-notice requirements.
Official SSA hearing office locator and information page, directly relevant because the bill covers hearing offices as well as field offices.
Official House committee website for one of the congressional committees designated in the bill to receive the Commissioner's report on office closures.
Official Senate committee website for the other committee named in the bill to receive the Commissioner's report on closure decisions.
H.R. 1876 Common Questions
Would H.R. 1876 stop Social Security office closures right away?
Yes, in most cases. H.R. 1876 would immediately block closures, consolidations, and new access limits for Social Security field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations.
How long would the freeze on closures last?
Until 180 days after the Social Security commissioner sends Congress a report—and the bill says that report cannot be sent before January 21, 2029. So the freeze is built to last at least that long.
Does H.R. 1876 cover hearing offices and resident stations too?
Yes. The bill covers Social Security field offices, hearing offices, and resident stations, not just walk-in field offices.
How much warning would people get before an office closes later on?
At least 120 days. The agency would also have to explain how it plans to replace lost access within 30 days after the change.
Would the public get a chance to object to a closure?
Yes. H.R. 1876 requires at least 2 public hearings before a closure or consolidation, and they must be spaced at least 10 days apart.
Can people challenge a Social Security office closure decision?
Yes. People affected could ask for an administrative hearing before the closure takes effect if they argue the decision was unlawful, unsupported, or the required process was not followed.
Could Social Security still close offices during emergencies?
Yes, temporarily. H.R. 1876 allows short-term closures or access limits in response to an emergency.
Does the bill set a minimum number of Social Security offices?
Yes. H.R. 1876 says the total number of offices and stations cannot fall below the number operating on January 20, 2025.
Based on H.R. 1876 bill text
H.R. 1876 Bill Text
“To prevent closure of social security field and hearing offices and resident stations.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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