Official Summaries

Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

This bill extends from 5 to 10 years the statute of limitations for federal criminal charges or civil enforcement actions for fraud related to several unemployment insurance programs that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The extension applies to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. The bill extends the statute of limitations for (1) criminal charges related to fraud, including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud; and (2) civil actions involving false claims. However, the bill does not apply to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the applicable statute of limitations expired before the date of the bill's enactment.

Additionally, the bill rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to the Department of Labor for anti-fraud and program integrity activities.  

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1156 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)]

<DOC>





                                                        Calendar No. 29
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1156


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2025

                     Received; read the first time

                             March 13, 2025

            Read the second time and placed on the calendar

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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:

                                             KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

                                                                 Clerk.
                                                        Calendar No. 29

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 13, 2025

            Read the second time and placed on the calendar