ZEROING OUT MONETARY BENEFITS IMPROPERLY EXPENDED ACT

On 2026-06-08, Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) delivered a floor speech titled "ZEROING OUT MONETARY BENEFITS IMPROPERLY EXPENDED ACT" in the House.

ZEROING OUT MONETARY BENEFITS IMPROPERLY EXPENDED ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3925-H3928] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1450 ZEROING OUT MONETARY BENEFITS IMPROPERLY EXPENDED ACT Mr. GILL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8467) to reform the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 to ensure executive agencies focus on fraud prevention, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8467 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 ``Zeroing Out Monetary Benefits Improperly Expended Act'' or the ``ZOMBIE Act''. SEC. 2. REFORMS TO PAYMENT INTEGRITY INFORMATION ACT OF 2019. (a) Definitions.--Section 3351 of title 31, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in paragraph (2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) in clause (i)-- (I) by inserting ``information on'' before ``improper payments''; (II) by striking ``information with'' and inserting ``resulting in financial loss to the Government in the accompanying materials to''; and (III) by striking ``and'' at the end; and (ii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new clause: ``(iii) published information on improper payments resulting in financial loss to the Government with the annual budget justification of the executive agency for the most recent fiscal year;''; (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as clauses (iv) and (v), respectively (and adjusting the margins accordingly); (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (F) as subparagraphs (B) through (D), respectively; (D) in subparagraph (A)(iv), as so redesignated-- (i) by striking ``if required, has''; and (ii) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end; (E) in subparagraph (A)(v), as so redesignated, by striking ``if required, publishes'' and inserting ``published''; (F) by striking subparagraph (B), as so redesignated; and (G) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D), as so redesignated, as subparagraphs (B) and (C); and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(9) Financial loss to the government.--The term `financial loss to the Government'-- ``(A) means any payment or part of a payment made in excess of the correct amount authorized by law that results in a financial loss to the Federal Government; and ``(B) does not include any payment or part of a payment made to the correct person or entity for the correct amount authorized by law but not made in accordance with certain administrative procedures applicable to the executive agency (excluding any such procedure necessary to establish eligibility or to verify that any payment or part of a payment was made in such correct amount).''. (b) Estimates of Improper Payments Resulting in Financial Loss to the Government and Reports on Actions to Reduce Such Payments.--Section 3352 of title 31, United States Code, is amended-- [[Page H3926]] (1) in the heading-- (A) by inserting ``resulting in financial loss to the Government'' before ``and reports'' (and by conforming the item relating to such section in the table of sections in chapter 33); and (B) by striking ``reduce improper payments'' and inserting ``reduce such payments'' (and by conforming the item relating to such section in the table of sections in chapter 33); (2) in subsection (a)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``periodically review all programs and activities'' and inserting ``submit annually a list of each program and activity required to be reported on the Program Inventory under section 1122''; and (ii) in subparagraph (B)-- (I) by striking ``all programs and activities'' and inserting ``each program and activity from each such list''; and (II) by striking ``(3)'' and inserting ``(2)''; (B) by striking paragraph (2); (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and (D) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated-- (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``improper payments and payments whose propriety cannot be determined'' and inserting ``improper payments resulting in financial loss to the Government and payments lacking sufficient documentation to determine whether the payments result in financial loss to the Government''; (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraphs: ``(B) Development of risk assessment guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall develop risk assessment guidance to assess the risk of improper payments resulting in financial loss to the Government that addresses the following: ``(i) The likelihood of payment errors and the magnitude of such errors that do not result in financial loss to the Government. ``(ii) The likelihood of payment errors and the magnitude of such errors that do result in financial loss to the Government. ``(iii) A formula for estimating financial loss to the Government. ``(iv) Relevant governmentwide documents and best practices for managing improper payments and mitigating fraud risks in Federal programs, such as the document of the Government Accountability Office entitled `A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs' (or any successor document), as applicable and appropriate. ``(C) Scope.--In preparing a list under paragraph (1)(A), the head of each executive agency shall require, within 6 months after issuing the risk assessment guidance, a risk assessment using the guidance developed under subparagraph (B) for each program or activity listed under paragraph (1)(A) for each-- ``(i) existing programs or activities prior to the next disbursement of Federal funds with respect to the program or activity; and ``(ii) newly authorized programs and activities prior to any disbursement of Federal funds with respect to the program or activity.''; (iv) in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated-- (I) in the heading, by striking ``Scope'' and inserting ``Requirements''; (II) in the matter preceding clause (i)-- (aa) by striking ``In conducting a review under paragraph (1), the head of each executive agency shall'' and inserting ``Risk assessments are to be conducted on an ongoing basis, but no less frequently than once every 3 years, and''; and (bb) by inserting ``, including with respect to fraud in any program or activity listed under paragraph (1)(A) that causes improper payments resulting in financial loss to the Government'' before ``, such as''; (III) in clause (x), by striking ``data systems'' and inserting ``data assets''; and (IV) in clause (xi)-- (aa) by inserting ``or improper payments'' before ``as assessed''; and (bb) by inserting ``, or any successor document'' after ``(commonly known as the `Green Book')''; and (v) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated-- (I) in the heading, by striking ``Annual report'' and inserting ``Reports''; (II) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``Each executive agency shall publish an annual report'' and inserting ``Not less than once every 3 years, the head of each executive agency shall publish a report, which may be included in a report required under subsection (b)(2)(F) by such head with respect to a high-priority Federal program or activity,''; (III) in clause (i), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon; (IV) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (V) by adding at the end the following new clause: ``(iii) a prioritized listing of risks identified in subparagraph (D) associated with each program and activity listed under paragraph (1)(A) and any corresponding financial and administrative control to mitigate any such risk, including the use of the Do Not Pay Initiative (or any successor system) and any other system or data asset maintained by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Inspector General of the executive agency to prevent fraud or improper payments resulting in financial loss to the Government prior to making an eligibility determination to receive Federal funds with respect to any such program or activity listed under paragraph (1)(A), issuing an award, or requesting a payment.''; (3) in subsection (b)-- (A) in the heading, by inserting ``That Result in Financial Loss to the Government'' after ``Improper Payments''; (B) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in subparagraph (A)-- (I) by inserting ``and activities'' after ``high-priority Federal programs''; and (II) by inserting ``that result in financial loss'' after ``improper payments'' each place it appears; and (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``associated'' and inserting ``and financial loss associated''; and (C) in paragraph (2)-- (i) in the heading, by inserting ``that result in financial loss to the government'' after ``improper payments''; (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``shall on an annual basis'' and inserting ``, not less frequently than once every 3 years, shall''; (iii) in subparagraph (B)-- (I) in clause (i)-- (aa) in subclause (I)-- (AA) by inserting ``that result in financial loss to the Government'' after ``improper payments''; and (BB) by striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon; (bb) in subclause (II), by inserting ``that result in financial loss to the Government, including by making it harder for fraudulent actors to exploit the program'' after ``improper payments''; and (cc) by adding at the end the following new subclause: ``(III) has taken or plans to take to reduce the percentage of improper payments that result in financial loss to the Government;''; (II) by inserting after clause (i) the following new clause: ``(ii) shall include-- ``(I) an estimate of the total amount of the payments that result in financial loss to the Government; ``(II) an

Referenced legislation: HR8467, HR8467