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Hearing on Modernizing Social Security's IT Systems

Original title: MODERNIZING SOCIAL SECURITY'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Record date · January 1, 2017

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What This Bill Does

This 2016 House hearing examined the state of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) aging information technology infrastructure. Lawmakers and expert witnesses discussed modernization plans, the implementation of , and oversight strategies to improve agency efficiency.

Why it matters

The hearing addressed the stability and security of the IT systems that manage Social Security benefits for millions of Americans, focusing on the transition from to modern software infrastructure.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Social Security Administration

The agency is responsible for implementing the IT modernization plans discussed during the hearing.

Directly affected

Social Security beneficiaries

The reliability and security of the agency's IT infrastructure directly impact the delivery of benefits and services to these individuals.

Key Facts

  • The hearing was held on July 14, 2016, by the House Subcommittee on Social Security.
  • The primary focus was the modernization of the Social Security Administration's IT infrastructure.
  • The committee reviewed the agency's IT modernization plan and the use of Agile software development practices.
  • Witnesses included representatives from the SSA, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Carnegie Mellon University, and the National Council of Social Security Management Associations.
Show all 6 facts
  • The hearing record includes written submissions from private sector entities BMC and Compuware regarding mainframe solutions.
  • The Subcommittee requested follow-up responses to questions for the record from Robert Klopp, Kimberly Byrd, and William Hayes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?
To evaluate the current state of the Social Security Administration's IT systems and discuss plans for modernizing them.
Who provided testimony at the hearing?
Experts from the SSA, the GAO, Carnegie Mellon University, and the National Council of Social Security Management Associations.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”

Senate LDAMatched on title words onlyView on LDA.gov →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Agile Methodology

The hearing highlights a specific shift in federal IT oversight toward Agile software development practices to manage large-scale government projects.

Connected Entities

William Hayes, Richard E. Warsinskey, Social Security Administration and 4 more
PersonWilliam Hayes“Principal Engineer at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institut”Map →
PersonRichard E. Warsinskey“President of the National Council of Social Security Management Associations.”Map →
OrganizationSocial Security Administration“The federal agency responsible for administering Social Security benefits and th”Map →
PersonKimberly A. Byrd“Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit at the SSA.”Map →
PersonSam Johnson“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security”Map →
PersonRobert Klopp“Deputy Commissioner of Systems and Chief Information Officer at the SSA.”Map →
PersonValerie C. Melvin“Director of Information Management and Technology Resources at the GAO.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance60
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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