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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10326 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10326
To enhance information-sharing capabilities between Federal law
enforcement and State agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute
fraud in certain Federal programs, and to protect individual privacy.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2026
Mr. Van Drew introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance information-sharing capabilities between Federal law
enforcement and State agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute
fraud in certain Federal programs, and to protect individual privacy.
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 ``Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining
Oversight of Funds Act'' or the ``PROOF Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR INFORMATION SHARING AND ACCESS.
(a) In General.--The head of a State administering a program
described in subsection (b) shall, upon receipt of a written request
from the Attorney General, provide such information as the Attorney
General may require for purposes of investigating or prosecuting
alleged fraud committed with regard to such program.
(b) Programs Described.--The programs described in this subsection
are the following:
(1) A State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) (or waiver of such plan).
(2) The supplemental nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2011 et seq.).
(3) The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program
established under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(4) State unemployment compensation programs receiving
funding under title III of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
501 et seq.).
(5) The Coronavirus Relief Fund established under section
601 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 801).
(6) The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
established under sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 802, 803).
(7) The Emergency Rental Assistance programs established
under section 501 of subtitle A of title V of division N of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058a) and
section 3201 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C.
9058c).
(8) Elementary and secondary school emergency relief grants
under--
(A) section 18003 of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-
136; 20 U.S.C. 3401 note);
(B) section 313 of the Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public
Law 116-260; 20 U.S.C. 3401 note); and
(C) section 2001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 (Public Law 117-2; 20 U.S.C. 3401 note).
(9) The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
established under section 60102(b)(1) of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1)).
(10) The Community Development Block Grant program
administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).
(11) Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation grant programs
administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
(12) The State Small Business Credit Initiative program
established under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (12
U.S.C. 5701 et seq.).
(13) Any other program pursuant to which funds are made
available to States identified by the Attorney General as
vulnerable to fraud.
(c) Scope of Information.--The requirement under subsection (a)
applies to the following:
(1) Identity verification records.
(2) Benefit disbursement logs.
(3) Provider billing statements.
(4) Demographic information directly related to an active
fraud investigation.
(5) Any other information, as determined appropriate by the
Attorney General for purposes of the investigation or
prosecution of alleged fraud.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION PROTECTION AND PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS.
(a) Compliance With Privacy Laws.--The Attorney General shall
handle all information obtained under section 2 in accordance with
section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the
``Privacy Act of 1974''), and, where applicable, the regulations
promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note).
(b) Security Protocol.--The Attorney General shall establish
information security protocols to ensure that information transferred
from a State agency--
(1) is encrypted using industry-standard protocols;
(2) may only be accessed by authorized personnel; and
(3) is destroyed and permanently removed from any database
upon the conclusion of the relevant legal proceedings or
investigation.
(c) Limitation on Use.--A Federal agency may only use information
obtained under this Act for law enforcement purposes related to fraud,
and may not disclose such information for any unrelated administrative
or commercial purpose.
SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit a report to the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives detailing--
(1) the number of requests issued to State agencies
pursuant to this Act;
(2) the programs with respect to which such requests were
made; and
(3) the number of fraud investigations initiated and
convictions secured using the information obtained.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provision
to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the
remainder of this Act, and the application of the provisions of such to
any person or circumstance, shall not be affected thereby.
SEC. 7. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``State'' means each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any
other territory or possession of the United States.
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