{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-evans-introduce-bipartisan-bill-streamline-social-security-survivor", "Davids, Evans Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Social Security Survivor Benefits for Families", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Gabe Evans (R-CO-08) introduced bipartisan legislation to streamline and modernize how surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents apply for Social Security survivor benefits. The bill would help families avoid long phone hold times and unnecessary in-person visits during a period of intense emotional and financial strain.\n\n\"When a family loses a parent, spouse, or breadwinner, the last thing they should have to deal with is a maze of administrative red tape just to access the benefits their loved one earned through a lifetime of hard work,\" said Davids. \"My casework team will always help Kansans recover backlogged federal benefits \u2014 including Social Security \u2014 but families shouldn\u2019t have to turn to their representatives\u2019 offices just to get the benefits they\u2019ve earned. This bipartisan bill would make it easier for families to get those benefits on their own, without having to navigate unnecessary hurdles during an already difficult time.\"\n\n\u201cWhen families experience the loss of a loved one, the last thing they should have to deal with is red tape and complications when accessing the benefits they are owed,\u201d said Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO-08). \u201cI\u2019m proud to co-lead the bipartisan Survivor Benefits Applications Modernization Act to ensure grieving families have faster access to the resources and services they need during difficult times.\u201d\n\nUnder current Social Security Act provisions, when a person passes away, their surviving family members \u2014 including young children, surviving spouses caring for children, and dependent parents \u2014 are eligible for survivor insurance benefits. However, unlike other federal programs that offer streamlined digital services, the Social Security Administration (SSA) process for survivor benefits still largely relies on manual scheduling and paper-based applications. This leads to extended processing delays, crowded field offices, and unnecessary stress for families facing sudden loss.\n\nThe bipartisan Survivor Benefits Application Modernization Act would fix that problem by requiring the Social Security Administration to:\n\nEstablish an Online Self-Scheduling Portal: Within 180 days of enactment, the SSA Commissioner must launch an online system allowing applicants for survivor benefits to independently schedule appointments.\n\nDevelop Online Application Filing: Within one year of enactment, the SSA must enable beneficiaries to complete and submit their survivor benefits applications directly through the secure online portal.\n\nReport on Efficiency and Integrity: Requires the SSA to submit a report to Congress within three years detailing application processing trends, administrative cost savings, and fraud and identity theft instances.\n\n\u201cNew York Life supports the Survivor Benefits Application Modernization Act, which would enable grieving families to apply for Social Security survivor benefits online,\u201d said Heather Nesle, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, New York Life. \u201cAs the nation\u2019s largest corporate funder of childhood bereavement causes, the New York Life Foundation has long championed efforts that help grieving families access the support they need. We thank Representatives Davids and Evans for leading the effort to help more children access the financial support they are entitled to during an incredibly difficult time.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-evans-introduce-bipartisan-bill-streamline-social-security-survivor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.647257013246417, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}