Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1156 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1156

 To amend the CARES Act to extend the statute of limitations for fraud
      under certain unemployment programs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2025

Mr. Smith of Missouri (for himself, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Yakym, Mr. Bean of
Florida, Mr. Moran, Ms. Van Duyne, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Carey, Mr. Miller
 of Ohio, Mr. Steube, Mr. Buchanan, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Smith of Nebraska,
      Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mr. Smucker, Mr. Kustoff, Ms.
  Malliotakis, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Moore of Utah, Mr. Estes, Mr. Kelly of
  Pennsylvania, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma, Mr. Arrington, Mr. Fitzpatrick,
  Mrs. Fischbach, and Mr. Schweikert) introduced the following bill;
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 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.

    This amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of
enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>