WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Social Security Administration (SSA) will be forced to streamline their processes for Americans whose Social Security numbers (SSNs) have been compromised thanks to bipartisan legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 3784, the Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act, was introduced by Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Ranking Member John Larson (D-CT) and was passed unanimously by the Ways and Means Committee. At a hearing on SSA’s role in combatting identity fraud, the Committee heard directly from a mother about her daughter’s Social Security number being compromised, and the tremendous challenge of navigating a bureaucratic maze to protect her daughter’s financial future. She testified to how having a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration would have made a real difference.

During debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) said, “A Social Security number is the gateway to taking control of an Americans’ identity and finances. Congress owes it to the American people to do everything we can to ensure their identities are protected, and that the process for taking back control of their identity when their Social Security number is compromised is streamlined and easy.”

Smith continued, “We especially owe it to the almost one million children who were victims of identity fraud in 2022 through no fault of their own. H.R. 3784 is a long-overdue step forward in streamlining the Social Security Administration’s process and alleviating the burden on victims.”

Click here to read Chairman Smith’s full opening statement from today’s debate on the Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act.

Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act (H.R. 3784)

• Requires the SSA to provide victims of identity theft with a single point of contact at the agency when the misuse of their SSN results in the need to resolve an issue or issues with the SSA or when their Social Security card is lost in the mail.
• In 2023, there were over 3,200 reported data breaches, impacting roughly 353 million individual records. In 2022, of the 1,800 reported data breaches, more than 1,100 included SSNs.
• Social Security numbers continue to be an attractive target for identity thieves due to their widespread use throughout the public and private sectors as an identifier and authenticator.
• Resolving an issue related to a lost or stolen SSN can be a long and complex ordeal, placing additional burdens on victims, and extending the time fraudsters have to misuse the SSN.

WATCH: Pennsylvania Mom Testifies A Single Point of Contact Would Help Resolve Her Daughter’s Case