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The two laws set new duties for Social Security case handling and public reporting on qualifying federal projects, with different deadlines for putting them into effect.
What has changed? · 07/10/2026, 22:12 UTC
The White House said the president signed H.R. 5345 and S. 766 into law on 7 October 2026. One establishes a case-contact requirement at the Social Security Administration (SSA); the other requires reporting on certain federally funded projects with major delays or cost overruns. [1]
Under H.R. 5345, the SSA must provide a single point of contact throughout a case for someone whose Social Security number has been misused or whose card was lost while being sent to them. That contact can be a team of specially trained staff rather than one permanent employee. The law requires continuity of case records if staff change, and the amendment takes effect 180 days after enactment. [2]
S. 766 covers projects funded by specified agencies that are more than five years behind their original completion date or have spent at least $1 billion more than originally estimated. Projects funded through the law’s defined category of direct spending are excluded. The thresholds determine which projects must be reported; they are not findings of waste or wrongdoing. [3]
The Office of Management and Budget must issue guidance within a year requiring annual agency submissions on covered projects, including dates, inflation-adjusted cost estimates and explanations for delays or higher costs. It must then report annually to Congress and publish the report online. The law sets no separate fixed date for the first public report. [3]
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