Protecting Elders From Government Error Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10243 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10243 To amend title II of the Social Security Act to place limitations on recovery of overpayments. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 3, 2026 Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title II of the Social Security Act to place limitations on recovery of overpayments. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Elders From Government Error Act''. SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON RECOVERY OF OVERPAYMENTS. (a) Time Period for Recovery of Old-Age Benefits.--Section 204(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 404(a)(1)(A)) is amended-- (1) by striking ``With respect'' and inserting ``(i) With respect''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(ii) In any case in which the Commissioner finds that more than the correct amount of payment has been made to a person, recovery from the person may not be made if-- ``(I) the overpayment is related to an old-age insurance benefit to which such person is entitled under section 202(a); ``(II) the overpayment occurred more than 6 months before the date of the finding; and ``(III) the overpayment was a result of error on the part of the Commissioner.''. (b) Withholding for Recovery of Overpayments.--Section 204(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 404(a)(1)(A)), as amended, is further amended by inserting after clause (ii) the following: ``(iii) In any case in which the Commissioner finds that more than the correct amount of payment has been made to a person, the Commissioner may not decrease the amou