Closure of field and hearing offices and resident or rural contact stations

(a) In general Section 704 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 904) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (f) Access to Field and Hearing Offices and Live Telephone Operator Services (1) The Commissioner of Social Security shall— (A) maintain, at a minimum, the same number of field and hearing offices of the Social Security Administration that existed on January 1, 2025; (B) not close, or reduce the level of services provided by, any field office, hearing office, or resident station of the Administration that existed on January 1, 2025, except in the case of a short-term emergency or relocation; (C) maintain meaningful and efficient access to live operator assistance; and (D) not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act, significantly improve telephone wait times, callback times, and average service times for beneficiaries and applicants, as compared to the average levels for such times during calendar year 2024. (2) The Commissioner may make recommendations to Congress proposing field or hearing office location changes, consolidations, or closures from time to time. (3) The Commissioner may— (A) establish new field or hearing offices in addition to those that existed on January 1, 2025; and (B) expand the level of services offered by a field or hearing office beyond what such office offered on January 1, 2025. (4) The Commissioner shall not limit public access to any field or hearing office of the Administration, or the staff of any such office, that existed on January 1, 2025. (5) The Commissioner shall not reduce the number of employees of the Administration (as determined on an annual basis) below the number of employees of the Administration that were employed during calendar year 2024. (6) The Administration shall not be subject to any hiring freeze, hiring prohibition, reduction in force order, or similar policy, and, notwithstanding any such freeze, prohibition, order, or policy, the Commissioner shall have the authority to hire new employees if the Commissioner deems it necessary to improve services provided by the Administration to beneficiaries and applicants of the programs established under this Act. (7) The Commissioner shall establish an online option, in accessible formats, for beneficiaries and applicants to apply, make benefit claims, and make changes to direct deposit information.. (b) Retroactive application The amendment made by this section shall take effect as if enacted on January 1, 2025, and any actions taken by the Commissioner of Social Security or any other officer of the executive branch that are inconsistent with such amendment shall be reversed.