President Signs Bill to Stop Payments to the Deceased!

Donald Trump has signed legislation authored by John Kennedy aimed at preventing government payments from being issued to deceased individuals.

The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act is designed to stop taxpayer funds from mistakenly going to people who have died. Lawmakers say the measure strengthens oversight and ensures federal dollars are directed only to eligible, living recipients.

“Using dead Americans to rip off taxpayers is as low as it gets,” Kennedy said in a statement following the bill’s signing. “Many Americans have seen these scams play out across the country and are tired of watching these fraudsters game the system—so am I. That’s why I wrote this common-sense bill to end this outrageous abuse permanently.”

Kennedy previously sponsored similar legislation in 2020 known as the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act. That bipartisan law placed temporary safeguards in effect for three years to reduce mistaken payments. According to Kennedy’s office, those reforms were projected to save at least $330 million between 2024 and 2026.

The newly signed measure makes those protections permanent. Supporters of the legislation say the long-term savings could reach into the billions by preventing improper payments across federal programs.

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill in September 2025. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure in January 2026 before it was sent to the president’s desk.

Lawmakers from both parties have described the bill as a bipartisan effort to improve accountability and safeguard taxpayer funds.