text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security Administration 
  Accountability Act of 2012''.
  
  SEC. 2. AMENDING SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BUDGETARY MATTERS.
  
      (a) Annual Budget.--Section 704(b)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act 
  (42 U.S.C. 904(b)(1)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
      ``(b)(1)(A) The Commissioner shall prepare and submit an annual 
  budget estimate for the Administration directly to the President and 
  Congress.''.
      (b) Contents of Budget.--Section 704(b)(1)(B) of such Act (42 
  U.S.C. 904(b)(1)(B)) is amended to read as follows:
      ``(B) The Commissioner shall include in the annual budget prepared 
  pursuant to subparagraph (A) the following:
              ``(i) The total number of cases pending at each hearing 
          office, listed by hearing office, and an aggregate total of all 
          cases pending at all hearing offices.
              ``(ii) The total number of cases pending for over the 
          preceding year at each hearing office, listed by both hearing 
          office and presiding administrative judge, and an aggregate 
          total of all cases pending for over such year at all hearing 
          offices.
              ``(iii) The average duration of time to process each case 
          at each hearing office, listed by hearing office.
              ``(iv) The staffing levels at each hearing office and field 
          office, including a listing of job titles, classifications, and 
          the number of staff within each title and classification.''.
      (c) Comprehensive Work Force Plan.--Section 704(b)(2)(A) of such 
  Act (42 U.S.C. 904(b)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the 
  following: ``Not later than 90 days before a revision of the 
  comprehensive work force plan, the Commissioner shall submit the 
  document setting forth the revision to the Committee on Ways and Means 
  of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the 
  Senate.''.
  
  SEC. 3. CLOSURE OF FIELD OR HEARING OFFICES.
  
      (a) Moratorium on Closure or Consolidation of Field or Hearing 
  Offices or New Limitations on Access to Such Offices.--
              (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
          Commissioner of Social Security shall take no action on or 
          after the date of the enactment of this Act to close or 
          consolidate field or hearing offices of the Social Security 
          Administration or to otherwise impose any new limitation on 
          access to such offices.
              (2) Cessation of moratorium upon report to congress.--
          Paragraph (1) shall cease to be effective 180 days after the 
          Commissioner submits to the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
          House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the 
          Senate a detailed report outlining and justifying the process 
          for selecting field or hearing offices to be closed or 
          consolidated or otherwise to have limited access. Such report 
          shall include--
                      (A) an analysis of the criteria used for selecting 
                  field or hearing offices for closure, consolidation, or 
                  limited access;
                      (B) a description of how the Commissioner has 
                  analyzed and considered relevant factors, including but 
                  not limited to transportation and communication burdens 
                  faced by individuals serviced by the offices, including 
                  elderly and disabled citizens; and
                      (C) a description of any method of cost-benefit 
                  analysis applied by the Commissioner in connection with 
                  closures and consolidations of field or hearing 
                  offices, and other limitations on access to field or 
                  hearing offices, including any analysis that takes into 
                  account--
                              (i) the anticipated savings resulting from 
                          the closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
                          access;
                              (ii) the anticipated costs associated with 
                          replacing services lost by the closure, 
                          consolidation, or limitation on access;
                              (iii) the anticipated effects on employees 
                          of the offices affected; and
                              (iv) such other relevant factors as may be 
                          determined by the Commissioner, including but 
                          not limited to transportation and communication 
                          burdens faced by individuals serviced by the 
                          offices, including elderly and disabled 
                          citizens.
      (b) Requirements for Future Closures, Consolidations, and New 
  Limitations on Access.--
              (1) 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:
  
                        ``Field and Hearing Offices
  
      ``(f)(1) The Commissioner may not close a field or hearing office 
  of the Administration, consolidate two or more such offices, or 
  otherwise impose any new limitation on public access to any such 
  office, unless the Commissioner complies with the requirements of 
  paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) in connection with the closure, 
  consolidation, or limitation on public access.
      ``(2)(A) The requirements of this paragraph are met in connection 
  with a closure, consolidation, or new limitation on access referred to 
  in paragraph (1) only if--
              ``(i) not later than 120 days before the date of the 
          closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, the 
          Commissioner provides effective public notice of the proposed 
          closure, consolidation, or limitation on access (including, to 
          the extent practicable, notice by direct mailing and through 
          community outlets such as newspapers and posting in heavily 
          frequented public spaces) to individuals residing in the area 
          serviced by the affected office or offices; and
              ``(ii) not earlier than 30 days after the issuance of 
          public notice pursuant to clause (i) and not later than 45 days 
          before the date of the proposed closure, consolidation, or 
          limitation on access, the Commissioner conducts at least 2 
          public hearings (scheduled so that the first and last such 
          hearings are separated by at least 10 days), at which the 
          Commissioner presents the justifications for the closure, 
          consolidation, or limitation on access described in 
          subparagraph (B) and provides for attendees an opportunity to 
          present their views regarding the proposed closure, 
          consolidation, or limitation on access.
      ``(B) The justifications referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii) shall 
  consist of the following:
              ``(i) an analysis of the criteria used for selecting the 
          field or hearing office or offices for closure, consolidation, 
          or limited access;
              ``(ii) a description of how the Commissioner has analyzed 
          and considered relevant factors, including but not limited to 
          transportation and communication burdens faced by individuals 
          serviced by the offices, including elderly and disabled 
          citizens; and
              ``(iii) a description of a method of cost-benefit analysis 
          which shall be applied by the Commissioner in connection with 
          the closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, and which 
          shall take into account--
                      ``(I) the anticipated savings resulting from the 
                  closure, consolidation, or limitation on access;
                      ``(II) the anticipated costs associated with 
                  replacing services lost by the closure, consolidation, 
                  or limitation on access;
                      ``(III) the anticipated effects on employees of the 
                  offices affected; and
                      ``(IV) such other relevant factors as may be 
                  determined by the Commissioner, including but not 
                  limited to transportation and communication burdens 
                  faced by individuals serviced by the offices, including 
                  elderly and disabled citizens.
      ``(C) The notice provided pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) shall 
  include notice of the time and place of the public hearings to be 
  conducted pursuant to clause (A)(ii) and of the right of aggrieved 
  individuals to appeal to the Commissioner regarding the proposed 
  closure, consolidation, or limitation on access pursuant to paragraph 
  (4).
      ``(3) The requirements of this paragraph are met in connection with 
  a closure, consolidation, or limitation on access referred to in 
  paragraph (1) only if, not later than 30 days before the date of the 
  proposed closure, consolidation, or limitation on access, the 
  Commissioner submits to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
  Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and each 
  Member of the Congress representing a State or congressional district 
  in which the affected office or offices are located a detailed final 
  report in support of the closure, consolidation, or limitation on 
  access. Such report shall include--
              ``(A) the justifications described in paragraph (2)(B), 
          (including any amendments made to such justifications after the 
          public hearings conducted pursuant to paragraph (2)(A));
              ``(B) any findings made by the Commissioner pursuant to the 
          public hearings;
              ``(C) the status of any appeals regarding the closure, 
          consolidation, or new limitation on access which were commenced 
          pursuant to paragraph (4) before the date of the report;
              ``(D) the final decision of the Commissioner regarding the 
          closure, consolidation, or new limitation on access; and
              ``(E) such other information as the Commissioner considers 
          relevant.
      ``(4)(A) Upon timely request by any individual who makes a showing 
  in writing described in subparagraph (B) in connection with a proposed 
  closure, consolidation, or limitation on access referred to in 
  subparagraph (A), the Commissioner shall give such individual an 
  opportunity for a hearing with respect to the closure, consolidation, 
  or limitation on access. The request for the hearing shall be 
  considered timely only if it is made not later than 30 days before the 
  proposed date of the closure, consolidation, or limitation on access. 
  The Commissioner shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
  House of Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and 
  each Member of the Congress representing a State or congressional 
  district in which the affected office or offices are located the 
  Commissioner's findings based on the hearing and a description of any 
  action taken or to be taken by Commissioner on the basis of such 
  findings.
      ``(B) A showing described in subparagraph (A) shall consist of a 
  showing that--
              ``(i) the determination of the Commissioner to close a 
          field or hearing office, consolidate field or hearing offices, 
          or impose a new limitation on access to a field or hearing 
          office is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, not in 
          accordance with law, or not based on substantial evidence; or
              ``(ii) the Commissioner has failed to observe procedures 
          required by law in connection with the closure, consolidation, 
          or new limitation on access.''.
              (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) of 
          this subsection shall apply with respect to closures and 
          consolidations of field or hearing offices and impositions of 
          new limitations on access to such offices occurring after the 
          cessation of the moratorium under subsection (a) of this 
          section.
target: Social Security Administration Accountability Act of 2012 - Amends title VII (Administration) of the Social Security Act to require the Commissioner of Social Security to submit an annual budget estimate of the Social Security Administration (SSA) (instead of a budget) directly to Congress and the President (instead of first to the President, who would submit it to Congress).
  
  Revises requirements for the general contents of the SSA budget, requiring inclusion of the number of cases pending at each hearing office and the average processing time.
  
  Prohibits the Commissioner from closing or consolidating SSA field or hearing offices, or otherwise limiting public access to one, until 180 days after submitting to specified congressional committees a detailed report outlining and justifying the process for selecting field offices to be closed, consolidated, or otherwise have limited access.
  
  Prohibits the Commissioner from closing an SSA field or hearing office, consolidating two or more such offices, or otherwise imposing any new limitation on public access to any such office unless the Commissioner follows certain administrative procedures.
feat_title: To amend title VII of the Social Security Act to require the President to transmit the annual budget of the Social Security Administration without revisions to Congress, and for other purposes.