{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://samjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364655", "House Passes Anti-Fraud Cause Championed by Johnson", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Sam Johnson", "J000174", "samjohnson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a common-sense, anti-fraud provision championed by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX).\u00a0 As Chairman of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, Johnson has led the effort to protect families and the American taxpayer from identity thieves by restricting access to Social Security\u2019s Death Master File (DMF).\u00a0 \n\u201cFor far too long, identity thieves have been exploiting the DMF to steal Americans\u2019 identities to obtain fraudulent tax refunds.\u00a0 Taxpayers who are victims of such fraud endure the terrible ordeal of proving their real identities.\u00a0 That\u2019s just plain wrong!\u00a0 Worse, these thieves target deceased children, like 4-year-old Alexis Agin, whose family learned of the fraud after the IRS rejected their tax return.\u00a0 Worrying about the stolen identity of a loved one is the last thing a grieving family should do,\u201d said Johnson.\u00a0 \nThe Agin\u2019s tragic experience led Johnson to introduce legislation to better protect families in 2011 and again this year.\u00a0 In July 2013, Johnson introduced the Alexis Agin Identity Theft Protection Act (H.R. 2720) \u2013 along with Democrat colleague and ranking-member on Social Security, Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA).\u00a0\u00a0 \nAs included in the budget agreement, the provision would require that only death information older than three years would be publicly available through the DMF \u2013 except for certified entities.\u00a0 The provision would prevent the disclosure of recent death information and help reduce incidents of identity theft and tax fraud.\u00a0 It is estimated to generate nearly $800 million in savings.\nBackground on the Death Master File\nThe Social Security Administration collects death information so it can stop benefits to those who have died and start benefits for their survivors.\u00a0 As a result of a 1978 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) court-mandated settlement, Social Security has been required to make public the Social Security numbers and other personal information of those who have died.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this file has turned into a resource for criminals who file fraudulent tax returns based on identities of the deceased, particularly children.\u00a0  In 2011, the Internal Revenue Service rejected the Agin\u2019s tax return advising the family that an identity thief had already filed a tax return for 2010 claiming their child as a dependent.\u00a0 The Agin\u2019s reached out to the cancer community, which they had come to know since April 2008 when their daughter was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, to share their experience.\u00a0 In less than an hour, 14 other families whose children had died said they had also experienced the additional travesty of their child\u2019s Social Security number being stolen.\u00a0 \u201cI salute the Agins for their tireless advocacy on behalf of their daughter and other grieving families,\u201d added Johnson.\u00a0 \u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://samjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364655"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6659210193902254, "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"}