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Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act
Summary
This bill extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting fraud related to pandemic unemployment benefits programs established by the CARES Act. Specifically, it allows the government to bring criminal or civil fraud charges for up to 10 years after a violation occurs, covering fraud related to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. This applies to various fraud offenses including wire fraud, mail fraud, identity theft, bank fraud, money laundering, and false claims, overriding shorter default statute of limitations periods. The bill does not apply to prosecutions or actions where the original statute of limitations had already expired before the bill's enactment. The bill also rescinds $5 million in unobligated CARES Act balances as a budget offset.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] (R-MO)
25 cosponsors
- Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] (R-TX)
- Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4] (R-FL)
- Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL)
- Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15] (R-OH)
- Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4] (R-KS)
- Rep. Feenstra, Randy [R-IA-4] (R-IA)
- Rep. Fischbach, Michelle [R-MN-7] (R-MN)
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA)
- Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] (R-OK)
- Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-PA)
- Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8] (R-TN)
- Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16] (R-IL)
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY)
- Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1] (R-WV)
- Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7] (R-OH)
- Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1] (R-UT)
- Rep. Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1] (R-TX)
- Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-NC-3] (R-NC)
- Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-1] (R-AZ)
- Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3] (R-NE)
- Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA)
- Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL)
- Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] (R-NY)
- Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24] (R-TX)
- Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN)
Actions (18)
- Mar 13, 2025 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 29. · senate
- Mar 12, 2025 Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. · senate
- Mar 11, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 295 - 127 (Roll no. 68). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1093-1094) · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 295 - 127 (Roll no. 68). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1093-1094)
- Mar 11, 2025 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1124) · house
- Mar 11, 2025 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 1156, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Davis (IL) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1156. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156 and H.R. 1968. The resolution provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156, and H.R. 1968 under a closed rule. Also, the resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 211. (consideration: CR H1093-1099) · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 211 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156 and H.R. 1968. The resolution provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156, and H.R. 1968 under a closed rule. Also, the resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure. · house
- Feb 25, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 2. · house
- Feb 25, 2025 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-6. · house
- Feb 12, 2025 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 18. · house
- Feb 12, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Feb 10, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. · house
- Feb 10, 2025 Introduced in House
How your representatives voted
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Roll-call votes (1)
How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.
- On PassagePassed
295 Yea · 127 Nay · 10 Not voting
- Republicans37Yea0Nay
- Democrats9Yea18Nay1NV
The party tally and member list below cover the 65 of 432 positions we've recorded so far; the outcome above is the official chamber result.
See how each member voted (65)
Yea(46)
- August Pfluger
- Beth Van Duyne
- Brandon Gill
- Brian Babin
- Brian K. Fitzpatrick
- Chip Roy
- Chrissy Houlahan
- Christopher H. Smith
- Craig A. Goldman
- Dan Crenshaw
- Daniel Meuser
- Glenn Thompson
- Guy Reschenthaler
- Henry Cuellar
- Herbert C. Conaway
- Jake Ellzey
- Jefferson Van Drew
- Joaquin Castro
- Jodey C. Arrington
- John Joyce
- John R. Carter
- Josh Gottheimer
- Julie Johnson
- Keith Self
- Lance Gooden
- Lloyd Smucker
- Michael Cloud
- Michael T. Mccaul
- Mike Kelly
- Monica De La Cruz
- Morgan Luttrell
- Nathaniel Moran
- Nellie Pou
- Pat Fallon
- Pete Sessions
- Randy K. Sr. Weber
- Robert P. Bresnahan
- Roger Williams
- Ronny Jackson
- Ryan Mackenzie
- Scott Perry
- Thomas H. Kean
- Troy E. Nehls
- Veronica Escobar
- Vicente Gonzalez
- Wesley Hunt
Nay(18)
Not voting(1)
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Text versions (4)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
AN ACT
To amend the CARES Act to extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain unemployment programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act”.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR FRAUD BY INDIVIDUALS UNDER CERTAIN UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS.
(a) Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.—Section 2102 of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9021) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:
“(h) Statute of Limitations.—
“(1) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to paragraph (2), any criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action for a violation of, or conspiracy to violate, section 371, 641, 1028A, 1029, 1341, 1343, 1344, 1349, 1956, or 1957 of title 18, United States Code, or section 3729 or 3801 of title 31, United States Code, with respect to any unemployment compensation claim funded in whole or in part by pandemic unemployment assistance under this section shall be brought not later than 10 years after the date of the violation or conspiracy.
“(2) Exception.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the statute of limitations applicable to such criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action expired prior to the date of enactment of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act.”.
(b) Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation.—Section 2104(f) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9023(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(5) Statute of limitations.—
“(A) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subparagraph (B), any criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action for a violation of, or conspiracy to violate, section 371, 641, 1028A, 1029, 1341, 1343, 1344, 1349, 1956, or 1957 of title 18, United States Code, or section 3729 or 3801 of title 31, United States Code, with respect to any unemployment compensation claim funded in whole or in part by Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation under this section shall be brought not later than 10 years after the date of the violation or conspiracy.
“(B) Exception.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the statute of limitations applicable to such criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action expired prior to the date of enactment of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act.”.
(c) Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.—Section 2107(e) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9025(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(5) Statute of limitations.—
“(A) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subparagraph (B), any criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action for a violation of, or conspiracy to violate, section 371, 641, 1028A, 1029, 1341, 1343, 1344, 1349, 1956, or 1957 of title 18, United States Code, or section 3729 or 3801 of title 31, United States Code, with respect to any unemployment compensation claim funded in whole or in part by Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation under this section shall be brought not later than 10 years after the date of the violation or conspiracy.
“(B) Exception.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the statute of limitations applicable to such criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action expired prior to the date of enactment of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act.”.
SEC. 3. BUDGET OFFSET.
Out of the unobligated balances of amounts made available by section 2118(a) of title II of division A of Public Law 116-136, as added by section 9032 of Public Law 117-2, $5,000,000 are hereby rescinded.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives March 11, 2025.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1156
AN ACT
To amend the CARES Act to extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain unemployment programs, and for other purposes.
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