text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Good Neighbor Social Security Office 
  and Community Protection Act of 2012''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds that:
              (1) As of March 2012, more than 61,000,000 Americans 
          received benefits from the Social Security Administration.
              (2) Americans depend upon convenient access to Social 
          Security Administration field offices.
              (3) The Social Security Administration faces growing 
          financial constraints consistent with the fiscal emergency 
          faced by the Nation.
              (4) Americans rightly expect the Social Security 
          Administration to meet its financial objectives through methods 
          that preserve service standards to the highest degree possible.
              (5) The Social Security Administration is in the process of 
          closing large numbers of field offices in an effort that is 
          expected to last several years.
              (6) The Social Security Administration is closing field 
          offices without adequate community input and process 
          transparency.
              (7) The shortcomings in the Social Security 
          Administration's process for closing field offices are due in 
          part to an absence of a statutorily defined field office 
          closure procedures that protect the interests of all interested 
          parties.
              (8) Social Security beneficiaries and the communities 
          surrounding Social Security field offices deserve notice of 
          office closures, an opportunity to offer comment and have those 
          comments given due consideration, and a clear plan to minimize 
          service disruption from an office closure.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the 
          Social Security Administration.
              (2) Closure.--The term ``closure'' includes any 
          realignment, consolidation, or merger of an Administration 
          field office.
              (3) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the 
          Commissioner of Social Security.
              (4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, 
          the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
          United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
          Commonwealth of the Northen Mariana Islands.
  
  SEC. 4. GUIDELINES AND STANDARDIZED PROCEDURES FOR CLOSURE OF SOCIAL 
                SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FIELD OFFICES.
  
      (a) Guidelines for Identification of Offices for Possible 
  Closure.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
  Act, the Commissioner shall develop and publish--
              (1) financial guidelines that may be used to identify 
          Administration field offices for possible closure; and
              (2) standardized closure procedures that meet the 
          requirements of section 5.
      (b) Non-Binding.--The financial guidelines and standardized closure 
  procedures developed under subsection (a) shall provide that 
  identification of an Administration field office for possible closure 
  shall not require the Commissioner to begin closure procedures for any 
  field office identified as a result of the application of such 
  guidelines or the initiation of such procedures.
  
  SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR CLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 
                FIELD OFFICES.
  
      (a) Office Closure and Service Continuity Proposal.--In any case 
  where the Commissioner has identified an Administration field office 
  for possible closure as a result of the application of the financial 
  guidelines developed under section 4 and decides to initiate procedures 
  to close that field office, the Commissioner shall develop an office 
  closure and service continuity proposal for the office that contains 
  the following information:
              (1) The financial justification for the proposed office 
          closure, with estimated savings in costs relating to real 
          estate, labor, and miscellaneous expenses.
              (2) The estimated cost of the office closure.
              (3) Data for monthly customer traffic at the office.
              (4) The location of the two nearest Administration field 
          offices that would remain open after the office closure.
              (5) The estimated travel time, by private vehicle and 
          public transit, from the Administration field office proposed 
          for closure and the two nearest Administration field offices 
          that would remain open after the office closure.
              (6) The steps the Administration plans to take to mitigate 
          any hardship created by the office closure.
              (7) The names and addresses of governmental agencies and 
          community organizations to be notified in accordance with 
          subsection (b).
              (8) The postal and electronic addresses for which public 
          comments may be sent in accordance with subsection (c).
      (b) Notices Required Prior to Final Closure Decision.--
              (1) In general.--Not less than 90 days prior to the 
          proposed closure date for an Administration field office, the 
          Commissioner shall--
                      (A) provide copies of the office closure and 
                  service continuity proposal developed for the 
                  Administration field office to--
                              (i) the chief executive office of the State 
                          in which field office proposed for closure is 
                          located;
                              (ii) the chief executive officers for the 
                          county and city government jurisdictions in 
                          which the field office proposed for closure is 
                          located; and
                              (iii) the head of the social services 
                          agencies that receive Federal funds that are 
                          located within a 10-mile radius of the field 
                          office proposed for closure;
                      (B) publish the proposal in newspapers whose 
                  circulation area includes areas served by the field 
                  office proposed for closure; and
                      (C) broadcast the proposal over Federally licensed 
                  radio stations whose broadcast area includes areas 
                  served by the field office proposed for closure.
              (2) Records.--The Commissioner shall maintain records of 
          the dates on which the notices, publications, and broadcasts 
          required under paragraph (1) are made.
      (c) Public Comment Required Prior to Final Closure Decision.--
              (1) In general.--The Commissioner shall hold at least 1 
          hearing at which public comments may be made prior making any 
          final decision to close an Administration field office. The 
          Commissioner also shall provide postal and electronic addresses 
          for which written comments regarding the proposed closure may 
          be submitted.
              (2) Notice.--The date and time for the public comment 
          hearing on the proposed closure of an Administration field 
          office shall be included in the notices, publications, and 
          broadcasts required under subsection (b).
              (3) Timing.--The public comment hearing shall be held at 
          least 21 days after notice of the date and time for the hearing 
          is made in accordance with paragraph (2) and at least 60 days 
          prior to the proposed closure date for the Administration field 
          office.
              (4) Attendance.--The Regional Commissioner for the region 
          in which the Administration field office proposed for closure 
          is located shall attend the public comment hearing. Only in 
          cases where Regional Commissioner is, in good faith, unable to 
          attend the hearing, may a designated representative attend the 
          public comment hearing in lieu of the Regional Commissioner.
              (5) Format.--The public comment hearing shall be conducted 
          as follows:
                      (A) The hearing shall begin with a presentation by 
                  the Commissioner of the case for closure of the field 
                  office.
                      (B) The hearing shall then provide at least 1 hour 
                  following the conclusion of the presentation of the 
                  case for closure for comments from elected officials.
                      (C) Following the conclusion of the period for 
                  comment from elected officials, the hearing shall then 
                  provide at least 1 hour for comments from the public.
              (6) Records.--The Commissioner shall maintain a record of 
          the comments provided at the hearing and shall include in the 
          record any written comments received regarding the proposed 
          closure of the field office. The Commissioner shall publish the 
          record on the Administration Web site within 5 days after the 
          conclusion of the public comment hearing.
      (d) Final Closure Decision.--
              (1) In general.--The Commissioner shall issue a final 
          closure decision regarding an Administration field office only 
          after review of the comments received regarding the closure and 
          evaluation of any alternatives to closing the office that are 
          made at the public comment hearing or through written 
          submission.
              (2) Notice.--Notice of the Commissioner's final closure 
          decision with respect to an Administration field office shall 
          be published on the Administration Web site and shall be 
          distributed, published, and broadcast in the same manner as 
          notice of the office closure and service continuity proposal is 
          made under subsection (b).
              (3) Decision to close.--If the Commissioner's final closure 
          decision is to close a field office, the Commissioner shall 
          amend the office closure and service continuity proposal for 
          the field office to incorporate additional information obtained 
          during the public comment period.
              (4) Timing.--Notice of the Commissioner's final closing 
          decision shall be provided at least 45 days prior to a closing 
          date for a field office.
      (e) Additional Requirements.--The Commissioner shall continue to 
  operate an Administration field office proposed for closure in good 
  faith and with the assumption of continued service, until notice of the 
  Commissioner's final closure decision is made. The Commissioner shall 
  not take any action to close an Administration field office prior to 
  providing notice of the Commissioner's final closure decision, 
  including--
              (1) terminating or providing notice to terminate any real 
          estate lease, rental, or similar arrangement;
              (2) concluding agreements with collective bargaining units 
          related to the office closure;
              (3) making expenditures related to the proposed office 
          closure, except those necessary to fulfill the requirements of 
          this Act; and
              (4) entering into contracts related to the proposed office 
          closure, except those necessary to fulfill the process 
          requirements of this Act.
      (f) Extensions of Time for Closure.--The Commissioner may--
              (1) toll any time periods for action established by this 
          Act, provided that an equivalent delay in the proposed closing 
          date is made; and
              (2) delay the proposed closing date for an Administration 
          field office at any time in the closing process, including, if 
          the final closure decision is to close the office, after making 
          that decision.
  
  SEC. 6. NON-APPLICABILITY TO DISPOSAL OF REAL PROPERTY RELATED TO 
                CLOSED OFFICES.
  
      Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent or delay the 
  speedy disposal of surplus Government real property, including any 
  Administration field offices closed in accordance with the requirements 
  of this Act.
target: Good Neighbor Social Security Office and Community Protection Act of 2012 - Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to develop and publish: (1) financial guidelines that may be used to identify Social Security Administration field offices for possible closure, and (2) standardized closure procedures that meet certain requirements.
  
  Requires such guidelines and procedures to provide that identification of an Administration field office for possible closure shall not require the Commissioner to begin closure procedures for it.
  
  Requires the Commissioner to: (1) develop an office closure and service continuity proposal for any office so identified which the Commissioner decides to close that contains, among other specified items, the estimated cost of the closure; (2) notify state and local chief executive offices and the public before closure; (3) require the Commissioner to hold at least one hearing to take public comments before making a final decision to close a field office; (5) issue a final closure decision only after review of such comments and evaluation of any alternatives to closing the office; and (6) continue to operate an office proposed for closure in good faith and with the assumption of continued service until the notice of the Commisioner's final closure decision is made.
feat_title: A bill to protect senior citizens, disabled persons, veterans, and other beneficiaries and customers of the Social Security Administration by performing the process for closure of field offices.