S. 5532Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act

A bill to restore protections for Social Security, Railroad retirement, and Black Lung benefits from administrative offset.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated October 3, 2026 at 4:21 AM UTC

The Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act would stop the federal government from using administrative offset to collect debts by taking money from Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung benefit payments. It amends the Social Security Act and related railroad retirement statutes to nullify the offset provisions that currently allow such collections. The bill applies to any offset attempts made after it becomes law, protecting current and future benefit recipients.

Key Provisions

Adds a new subsection to the Social Security Act that makes certain offset provisions in 31 U.S.C. §3716(c)(3) null and void for Social Security benefits.
Amends the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act so the same protection against administrative offset applies to railroad retirement and unemployment insurance benefits.
Repeals the authority in 31 U.S.C. §3716(c)(3) that permits offset of these benefit payments, removing the language that allowed such collections.
Sets the effective date so the changes apply to any offset collection occurring after the law is enacted, regardless of when the underlying claim arose.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

September 24, 2026

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 24, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

September 24, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in SenateIssued September 24, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5532

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 24, 2026

Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Sanders) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To restore protections for Social Security, Railroad retirement, and Black Lung benefits from administrative offset.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act.

Protecting Social Security, Railroad retirement, and Black Lung benefits from administrative offset

(a)

Prohibition on administrative offset authority

(1)

Assignment under Social Security Act

Section 207 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 407) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(d)

Subparagraphs (A), (C), and (D) of section 3716(c)(3) of title 31, United States Code, as such subparagraphs were in effect on the date before the date of enactment of the Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act, shall be null and void and of no effect.

(2)

Conforming amendments

(A)

Section 14(a) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231m(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: . The provisions of section 207(d) of the Social Security Act shall apply with respect to this title to the same extent as they apply in the case of title II of such Act..

(B)

Section 2(e) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 352(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following: The provisions of section 207(d) of the Social Security Act shall apply with respect to this title to the same extent as they apply in the case of title II of such Act..

(b)

Repeal of administrative offset authority

(1)

In general

Paragraph (3) of section 3716(c) of title 31, United States Code, is amended—

(A)

by striking (3)(A)(i) Notwithstanding and all that follows through any overpayment under such program).;

(B)

by striking subparagraphs (C) and (D); and

(C)

by redesignating subparagraph (B) as paragraph (3).

(2)

Conforming amendment

Paragraph (5) of such section is amended by striking the Commissioner of Social Security and.

(c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall apply to any collection by administrative offset occurring on or after the date of enactment of this Act of a claim arising before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.