Press ReleaseBipartisan2026-05-12

Rep. Titus's Combating Organized Retail Crime Act Passes the House

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This press release from Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) was published on 2026-05-12 and titled "Rep. Titus's Combating Organized Retail Crime Act Passes the House".

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Rep. Titus's Combating Organized Retail Crime Act Passes the House

WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01)’s Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) to crack down on retail theft rings that are conducting large-scale robberies of merchants and cargo shipments. “These organized theft rings are costing merchants, shippers, and American consumers billions of dollars per year. They also put customers and staff at risk. A new approach is needed to combat retail and cargo theft,” Congresswoman Titus said. “These sophisticated operations go far beyond one bad actor shoplifting or stealing cargo and require a strong federal response to protect consumers, local businesses, and transportation networks. Often, these stolen goods are sold on the black market internationally to fund other illegal undertakings. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act establishes a coordinated federal response to mitigate this crime and gives law enforcement more tools to find and prosecute bad actors.” CORCA would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This coordination center would strengthen collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, along with retail crime associations, to create a cohesive strategy to combat organized retail and cargo theft. Congresswoman Titus has led this bipartisan effort with Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) since the introduction of H.R. 9177 in 2022 and has worked most recently with Representative David Joyce (OH-14). As the Ranking Member of the Transportation Infrastructure’s Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Representative Titus also hosted a roundtable to examine the issue of cargo theft on supply chains and consumer prices in April 2025. “Businesses throughout my district are facing the burdens of a rise in organized retail crimes and fraud schemes that are sweeping the nation,” said Congressman Joyce. “These criminal organizations are not only harming small businesses and retailers in our communities but are also putting American consumers at risk of violence and fraud. These crimes also have more widespread consequences for public safety, as these organized groups often resell stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations.” According to the National Retail Federation, retail larceny incidents increased by 93 percent from 2019 to 2023, including a 90 percent increase in actual dollar loss. Stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, compared to $93.9 billion in 2021, $61.7 billion in 2019, and $46.8 billion in 2017. In 2023, 84 percent of retailers reported that violence and aggression were a greater concern than in 2022. At the same time, product manufacturers and the supply chain are experiencing a rise in organized cargo theft across rails, roads, and the various distribution points across the United States. CargoNet reported a 27 percent increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over 2023. These crimes are often orchestrated by organized groups that resell stolen goods through physical and online marketplaces, further fueling illicit profits and financing additional criminal enterprises. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act seeks to address these challenges by enhancing legal frameworks, improving enforcement capabilities, and fostering coordination across federal, state, and local agencies. The legislation responds to the limitations of state-level efforts, which struggle with resource constraints and the interstate and international nature of organized retail and supply chain crime, and it aims to safeguard commerce, consumer confidence, and national security. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is supported by the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, Home Depot, UPS, the Intermodal Association of North America, the Association of American Railroads, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American Trucking Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Walgreens Co., CVS Health, Kroger, Walmart, and Target. “Large-scale retail theft operations are an ongoing problem that endanger retail workers, customers and the economic safety of communities nationwide. We commend Congresswoman Titus for her leadership on the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and are grateful to those House members who voted for this bipartisan legislation. The bill strengthens federal coordination and provides critical resources to fight these criminal networks

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Rep. Titus's Combating Organized Retail Crime Act Passes the House WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01)’s Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) to crack down on retail theft rings that are conducting large-scale robberies of merchants and cargo shipments. “These organized theft rings are costing merchants, shippers, and American consumers billions of dollars per year. They also put customers and staff at risk. A new approach is needed to combat retail and cargo theft,” Congresswoman Titus said. “These sophisticated operations go far beyond one bad actor shoplifting or stealing cargo and require a strong federal response to protect consumers, local businesses, and transportation networks. Often, these stolen goods are sold on the black market internationally to fund other illegal undertakings. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act establishes a coordinated federal response to mitigate this crime and gives law enforcement more tools to find and prosecute bad actors.” CORCA would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This coordination center would strengthen collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, along with retail crime associations, to create a cohesive strategy to combat organized retail and cargo theft. Congresswoman Titus has led this bipartisan effort with Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) since the introduction of H.R. 9177 in 2022 and has worked most recently with Representative David Joyce (OH-14). As the Ranking Member of the Transportation Infrastructure’s Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Representative Titus also hosted a roundtable to examine the issue of cargo theft on supply chains and consumer prices in April 2025. “Businesses throughout my district are facing the burdens of a rise in organized retail crimes and fraud schemes that are sweeping the nation,” said Congressman Joyce. “These criminal organizations are not only harming small businesses and retailers in our communities but are also putting American consumers at risk of violence and fraud. These crimes also have more widespread consequences for public safety, as these organized groups often resell stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations.” According to the National Retail Federation, retail larceny incidents increased by 93 percent from 2019 to 2023, including a 90 percent increase in actual dollar loss. Stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, compared to $93.9 billion in 2021, $61.7 billion in 2019, and $46.8 billion in 2017. In 2023, 84 percent of retailers reported that violence and aggression were a greater concern than in 2022. At the same time, product manufacturers and the supply chain are experiencing a rise in organized cargo theft across rails, roads, and the various distribution points across the United States. CargoNet reported a 27 percent increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over 2023. These crimes are often orchestrated by organized groups that resell stolen goods through physical and online marketplaces, further fueling illicit profits and financing additional criminal enterprises. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act seeks to address these challenges by enhancing legal frameworks, improving enforcement capabilities, and fostering coordination across federal, state, and local agencies. The legislation responds to the limitations of state-level efforts, which struggle with resource constraints and the interstate and international nature of organized retail and supply chain crime, and it aims to safeguard commerce, consumer confidence, and national security. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is supported by the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, Home Depot, UPS, the Intermodal Association of North America, the Association of American Railroads, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American Trucking Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Walgreens Co., CVS Health, Kroger, Walmart, and Target. “Large-scale retail theft operations are an ongoing problem that endanger retail workers, customers and the economic safety of communities nationwide. We commend Congresswoman Titus for her leadership on the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and are grateful to those House members who voted for this bipartisan legislation. The bill strengthens federal coordination and provides critical resources to fight these criminal networks