,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ahgf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #e1 #bjbe,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,neal1 ,mr4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,horsford1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,bishop1 ,mr4 ,deluzio1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,ms4 ,jacobs1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,jackson of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,ms4 ,budzinski1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,ms4 ,sewell1 ,mr4 ,boyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,schneider1 ,mr4 ,ivey1 ,mrs4 ,cherfilus-,mc,cormick1 ,mrs4 ,mc,iver1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,ms4 ,elfreth1 ,ms4 ,ansari1 ,mr4 ,panetta1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,ms4 ,moore of ,wisconsin1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 ,mr4 ,stanton1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,gottheimer1 ,mr4 ,auchincloss1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,mr4 ,sorensen1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,landsman1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,amo1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,underwood1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,riley of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,plaskett1 ,ms4 ,randall1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,ms4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,pettersen1 ,mr4 ,mfume1 ,mr4 ,swalwell1 ,ms4 ,brownley1 ,mr4 ,morelle1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 and ,mr4 ,mc,garvey7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means ,a ,,bill ,to prevent closure of social security field and hearing offices and resident stations4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,keeping ,our ,field ,offices ,open ,act4 #b4 ,preventing closure of field and hearing offices and resident stations 7a7 ,moratorium on closure or consolidation of field or hearing offices or new limitations on access to such offices 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c71 the ,commissioner of ,social ,security shall take no action on or after the date of enactment of this ,act to close or consolidate field or hearing offices or resident stations of the ,social ,security ,administration or to otherwise impose any new limitation on access to such offices or stations4 7#b7 ,exception for emergency closures ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply with respect to any temporary action by the ,commissioner to close or otherwise limit access to field or hearing offices or resident stations in response to an emergency4 7#c7 ,cessation of moratorium upon report to ,congress ,paragraph 7#a7 shall cease to be effective on the date that is #ahj days after the report described in paragraph 7#d7 is submitted4 7#d7 ,report required ,not earlier than ,january #ba1 #bjbi1 the ,commissioner shall submit to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate a report outlining and justifying the process for selecting field or hearing offices or resident stations to be closed or consolidated or otherwise to have limited access4 ,such report shall include-- 7,a7 an analysis of the criteria used for selecting field or hearing offices and resident stations for closure1 consolidation1 or limited access2 7,b7 a description of how the ,commissioner has analyzed and considered relevant factors1 including transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals serviced by the offices and stations1 including elderly and disabled individuals2 and 7,c7 a description of any method of cost-benefit analysis applied by the ,commissioner in connection with closures and consolidations of such offices and stations1 and other limitations on access the offices and stations1 including any analysis that takes into account-- 7i7 the anticipated savings resulting from the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access2 7ii7 the anticipated costs associated with replacing services lost by the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access2 7iii7 the anticipated effects on employees of the offices or stations affected2 7iv7 how the loss of access resulting from the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access will be replaced by the establishment of a new field or hearing office or resident station1 increased access at a different office or station1 or some other means1 and the factors considered by the ,commissioner in determining how to replace such lost access2 and 7v7 such other relevant factors as may be determined by the ,commissioner1 including but not limited to transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals serviced by the offices and stations1 including elderly and disabled individuals4 7b7 ,requirements for future closures1 consolidations1 and new limitations on access 7#a7 ,in general ,section #gjd of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ijd7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7f7 7#a7 ,field and hearing offices and resident stations ,subject to paragraph 7#f71 the ,commissioner may not close a field or hearing office or a resident station of the ,administration1 consolidate two or more such offices or stations1 or otherwise impose any new limitation on public access to any such office or station1 unless the ,commissioner complies with the requirements of paragraphs 7#b71 7#c71 7#d71 and 7#e7 in connection with the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on public access4 7#b7 7,a7 ,the requirements of this paragraph are met in connection with a closure1 consolidation1 or new limitation on access referred to in paragraph 7#a7 only if-- 7i7 not later than #abj days before the date of the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access1 the ,commissioner provides effective public notice of the proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access 7including1 to the extent practicable1 notice by direct mailing and through community outlets such as newspapers and posting in heavily frequented public spaces7 to individuals residing in the area serviced by the affected offices or stations2 7ii7 the public notice issued pursuant to clause 7i7 includes information on-- 7,i7 how the ,commissioner will1 not later than #cj days after the date of the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access1 replace the loss in access resulting from the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access by establishing a new office or station1 increasing public access to a different office or station1 or some other means2 and 7,,ii7 how to contact the ,administration if an individual experiences service delays or problems as a result of the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access2 and 7iii7 not earlier than #cj days after the issuance of public notice pursuant to clause 7i7 and not later than #de days before the date of the proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access1 the ,commissioner conducts at least #b public hearings 7scheduled so that the first and last such hearings are separated by at least #aj days71 at which the ,commissioner presents the justifications for the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access described in subparagraph 7,b7 and provides for attendees an opportunity to present their views regarding the proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access4 7,b7 ,the justifications referred to in subparagraph 7,a77iii7 shall consist of the following3 7i7 an analysis of the criteria used for selecting the field or hearing office or offices1 or the resident station or stations1 for closure1 consolidation1 or limited access2 7ii7 a description of how the ,commissioner has analyzed and considered relevant factors1 including but not limited to transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals serviced by the offices or stations1 including elderly and disabled individuals2 and 7iii7 a description of a method of cost-benefit analysis which shall be applied by the ,commissioner in connection with the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access1 and which shall take into account-- 7,i7 the anticipated savings resulting from the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access2 7,,ii7 the anticipated costs associated with replacing services lost by the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access2 7,,iii7 the anticipated effects on employees of the offices or stations affected2 and 7,,iv7 such other relevant factors as may be determined by the ,commissioner1 including but not limited to transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals serviced by the offices and stations1 including elderly and disabled individuals4 7,c7 ,the notice provided pursuant to subparagraph 7,a77i7 shall include notice of the time and place of the public hearings to be conducted pursuant to clause 7,a77iii7 and of the right of aggrieved individuals to appeal to the ,commissioner regarding the proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access pursuant to paragraph 7#d74 7#c7 ,the requirements of this paragraph are met in connection with a closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access referred to in paragraph 7#a7 only if1 not later than #cj days before the date of the proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access1 the ,commissioner submits to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate1 and each ,member of the ,congress representing a ,state or congressional district in which the affected office or offices1 or station or stations1 are located a detailed final report in support of the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access4 ,such report shall include-- 7,a7 the justifications described in paragraph 7#b77;,b71 7including any amendments made to such justifications after the public hearings conducted pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,a772 7,b7 any findings made by the ,commissioner pursuant to the public hearings2 7,c7 the status of any appeals regarding the closure1 consolidation1 or new limitation on access which were commenced pursuant to paragraph 7#d7 before the date of the report2 7,d7 the final decision of the ,commissioner regarding the closure1 consolidation1 or new limitation on access2 and 7,e7 such other information as the ,commissioner considers relevant4 7#d7 7,a7 ,upon timely request by any individual who makes a showing in writing described in subparagraph 7,b7 in connection with a proposed closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access referred to in subparagraph 7,a71 the ,commissioner shall give such individual an opportunity for a hearing with respect to the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access4 ,the request for the hearing shall be considered timely only if it is made not later than #cj days before the proposed date of the closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access4 ,the ,commissioner shall submit to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate1 and each ,member of the ,congress representing a ,state or congressional district in which the affected office or offices1 or station or stations1 are located the ,commissioner's findings based on the hearing and a description of any action taken or to be taken by the ,commissioner on the basis of such findings4 7,b7 ,a showing described in subparagraph 7,a7 shall consist of a showing that-- 7i7 the determination of the ,commissioner to close a field or hearing office or resident station1 consolidate field or hearing offices or resident stations1 or impose a new limitation on access to such offices or stations is arbitrary1 capricious1 an abuse of discretion1 not in accordance with law1 or not based on substantial evidence2 or 7ii7 the ,commissioner has failed to observe procedures required by law in connection with the closure1 consolidation1 or new limitation on access4 7#e7 ,the requirement of this paragraph is met in connection with a closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access referred to in paragraph 7#a7 only if such closure1 consolidation1 or limitation on access will not result in the total number of field or hearing offices and resident stations of the ,administration falling below the total number of such offices and stations that were in operation on ,january #bj1 #bjbe4 7#f7 ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply with respect to any temporary action by the ,commissioner to close or otherwise limit access to field or hearing offices or resident stations in response to an emergency4 4 7#b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made by paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection shall apply with respect to closures and consolidations of field or hearing offices and resident stations and impositions of new limitations on access to such offices and stations occurring after the cessation of the moratorium under subsection 7a7 of this section4