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May 12, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2853) to combat organized crime involving the illegal acquisition of retail goods and cargo for the purpose of selling those illegally obtained goods through physical and online retail marketplaces, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2853
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 “Combating Organized Retail
Crime Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) organized theft groups, involving sophisticated and
structured groups of individuals, continue to increase
criminal activities carried out by the groups against the
retail industry and the supply chain of the Nation, and these
activities, at unprecedented levels, involve theft and fraud
of both physical and digital goods, leading to escalating
financial losses and violence in the workplace—all impacting
the national economy and security of the United States;
(2) retailers face mounting thefts and fraud because of
organized retail crime in and around stores, online, and
throughout the retail ecosystem, and, according to the
National Retail Federation, larceny incidents increased by 93
percent in 2023 compared to 2019, with a 90 percent rise in
average dollar loss;
(3) these thefts are often orchestrated by organized theft
groups reselling and redistributing the stolen goods back
into the economy of the United States or overseas to gain
illicit profit and to finance other criminal activity, and
more than 84 percent of retailers report that violence and
aggression from these criminal activities has become more of
a concern since 2022, resulting in injuries and deaths among
employees, customers, security officers, and law enforcement
personnel;
(4) product manufacturers and the supply chain of the
Nation are victims of alarming increases in cargo theft
across rails, roads, and the various distribution points
across the Nation;
(5) CargoNet, a database of reported incidents in the
United States, reported a 27 percent increase in cargo theft
incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year, while during
the same period, the average value per theft rose to over
$202,000;
(6) these thefts range from large-scale physical theft of
goods from containers and storage to sophisticated
cybercriminal methods that divert shipments to illicit
receivers, causing significant financial losses and
operational supply chain disruptions;
(7) since 2022, more than 30 State laws have been enacted
to address organized theft, allow for aggregation of thefts,
and adjust penalties and enhancements, includin in 2024,
California voters overwhelmingly approving a constitutional
reform to allow aggregation of multiple or repeated thefts;
(8) although larceny and organized retail crime are
sometimes prosecuted at State and local levels, States face
resource and investigative challenges from groups operating
beyond local, State, and regional law enforcement
capabilities, and more needs to be done to address the cross-
jurisdictional, interstate, and international aspects of
these crimes;
(9) organized theft groups vary in scope and scale,
operating across State jurisdictions to avoid or disrupt
local, State, and Tribal law enforcement response, and these
organized theft groups build hierarchies to easily
redistribute stolen goods and illicit profits back into the
economy of the United States or overseas with disregard for
product and consumer safety;
(10) the groups exist and operate at the local, regional,
and transnational level, targeting goods that include raw and
finished materials, various branded retail products across
all consumer categories, operational assets in retail
commerce such as reusable transport packaging products, and
consumable goods including agriculture, food products, and
medicines;
(11) these groups are often polycriminal organizations,
using profit from the reselling of stolen goods to support
crimes involving drugs and weapons trafficking;
(12) the organized theft groups engage in human smuggling
and have been known to use migrants to commit crimes to
support the organizations;
(13) the groups move products and illicit proceeds beyond
the borders of the United States, funding nefarious groups
and activities and threatening the integrity of the
international economy;
(14) organized theft groups—
(A) threaten the safety and liberty of individuals in the
United States when those individuals engage in commerce;
(B) impact the ability of the Nation to distribute goods to
consumers, undermine consumer confidence in the supply chain,
and threaten the integrity of agricultural and consumable
goods;
(C) erode the national economy by increasing the cost of
goods, resulting in higher prices for consumers, reducing tax
revenues, and impacting employees, customers, and businesses
alike; and
(D) impact the national security of the United States
through financing transnational criminal activity and
providing profit and proceeds supporting larger criminal
goals of the criminal organizations; and
(15) it has become necessary for Congress to—
(A) amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure that law
enforcement has the legal tools necessary to combat organized
retail crime in the same capacity that law enforcement is
able to combat theft and diversion from other portions of the
supply chain; and
(B) direct the executive branch to create a central
coordination center to align Federal, State, local,
territorial, and Tribal efforts to combat organized retail
crime and organized supply chain crime.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE.
Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 982(a)(5)—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E) as
subparagraphs (D), (E), and (F), respectively;
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) section 659 (interstate or foreign shipments by
carrier; State prosecutions);”;
(C) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated, by striking
“; or” and inserting a semicolon; and
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (F), as so
redesignated, the following:
“(G) section 2314 (transportation of stolen goods,
securities, moneys, fraudulent State tax stamps, or articles
used in counterfeiting); or
“(H) section 2315 (sale or receipt of stolen goods,
securities, moneys, or fraudulent State tax stamps);”;
(2) in section 1956(c)—
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking “and money orders” and
inserting “money orders, general-use prepaid cards, gift
certificates, and store gift cards”; and
(B) in paragraph (7)(D)—
(i) by inserting “section 659 (interstate or foreign
shipments by carrier; State prosecutions),” after “section
658 (relating to property mortgaged or pledged to farm credit
agencies),”; and
(ii) by inserting “section 2314 (transportation of stolen
goods, securities, moneys, fraudulent State tax stamps, or
articles used in counterfeiting), section 2315 (sale or
receipt of stolen goods, securities, moneys, or fraudulent
State tax stamps),” after “section 2281 (relating to
violence against maritime fixed platforms),”;
(3) in section 2314, in the first paragraph—
(A) by inserting “or of an aggregate value of $5,000 or
more during any 12-month period,” after “more,”;
(B) by inserting “embezzled,” after “stolen,”; and
(C) by inserting “, false pretense, or other illegal
means” after “fraud”; and
(4) in section 2315, in the first paragraph, by inserting
“or of an aggregate value of $5,000 or more during any 12-
month period,” after “$5,000 or more,”.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTER TO COMBAT ORGANIZED RETAIL
AND SUPPLY CHAIN CRIME.
(a) In General.—Title III of the Trade Facilitation and
Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4341 et seq.) is
amended by inserting after section 305 the following:
“SEC. 305A. ORGANIZED RETAIL AND SUPPLY CHAIN CRIME
COORDINATION CENTER.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Center.—The term `Center' means the Organized Retail
and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center established
pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
“(2) Organized retail and supply chain crime.—The term
`organized retail and supply chain crime' includes—
“(A) any crime described in section 659, 2117, 2314, or
2315 of title 18, United States Code that is committed by, in
coordination with, or at the instruction of an organization;
“(B) aiding or abetting the commission of, or conspiring
to commit, any act that is in furtherance of a violation of a
crime referred to in subparagraph (A); and
“(C) other crimes related to those described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
“(3) Secretary.—The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
“(4) Executive associate director.—The term `Executive
Associate Director' means the Executive Associate Director of
Homeland Security Investigations.
“(b) Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination
Center.—
“(1) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date
of enactment of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of
2025, the Secretary shall direct the Executive Associate
Director to establish the Organized Retail and Supply Chain
Crime Coordination Center.
“(2) Duties.—The duties of the Center shall include—
“(A) coordinating Federal law enforcement activities
related to organized retail and supply chain crime, including
investigations of national and transnational criminal
organizations that are engaged in organized retail and supply
chain crime;
“(B) establishing relationships with State and local law
enforcement agencies and organizations, including organized
retail crime associations and cargo theft associations, and
sharing information regarding organized retail and supply
chain crime threats with such agencies and organizations;
“(C) assisting State and local law enforcement agencies
with State and local investigations of organized retail and
supply chain crime groups;
“(D) establishing relationships with retail,
transportation, and other companies determined by the
Executive Associate Director to have significant interests
relating to organized retail and supply chain crime threats,
sharing information with those companies regarding such
threats, collaborating on investigations and loss prevention
activities as appropriate, and providing a mechanism for the
receipt of investigative information on such threats;
“(E) establishing a secure system for sharing information
regarding organized retail and supply chain crime threats by
leveraging existing information systems at the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of Justice;
“(F) tracking trends with respect to organized retail and
supply chain crime and releasing annual public reports on
such trends; and
“(G) supporting the provision of training and technical
assistance in accordance with subsection (c).
“(3) Leadership; staffing.—
“(A) Director.—The Center shall be headed by a Director,
who shall be—
“(i) an experienced law enforcement officer;
“(ii) appointed by the Director of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement; and
“(iii) in a Senior Executive Service position as defined
in section 3132 of title 5, United States Code.
“(B) Deputy director.—The Director of the Center shall be
assisted by a Deputy Director, who shall be appointed, on a
2-year rotational basis, upon request from the Executive
Associate Director, by—
“(i) the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
“(ii) the Director of the United States Secret Service; or
“(iii) the Chief Postal Inspector.
“(C) Federal staff.—The staff of the Center shall
include—
“(i) special agents and analysts from Homeland Security
Investigations; and
“(ii) detailed criminal investigators, analysts, and
liaisons from other Federal agencies who have
responsibilities related to organized retail and supply chain
crime, including detailees from—
“(I) U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
“(II) the United States Secret Service;
“(III) the United States Postal Inspection Service;
“(IV) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives;
“(V) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
“(VI) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
“(VII) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“(D) State and local staff.—The staff of the Center may
include detailees from State and local law enforcement
agencies, who shall serve at the Center on a nonreimbursable
basis.
“(4) Coordination.—
“(A) In general.—The Center shall coordinate its
activities, as appropriate, with other Federal agencies and
centers responsible for countering transnational organized
crime threats.
“(B) Shared resources.—In establishing the Center, the
Executive Associate Director may co-locate or otherwise share
resources and personnel, including detailees and agency
liaisons, with—
“(i) the National Intellectual Property Rights
Coordination Center established pursuant to section
305(a)(1); or
“(ii) other existing interagency centers within the
Department of Homeland Security.
“(C) Agreements.—The Director of the Center, or his or
her designee, may enter into agreements with Federal, State,
local, and Tribal agencies and private sector entities to
facilitate carrying out the duties described in paragraph
(2).
“(D) Information sharing.—
“(i) In general.—Subject to the approval of the Director
of the Center, information that would otherwise be subject to
the limitation on the disclosure of confidential information
set forth in section 1905 of title 18, United States Code,
may be shared if such disclosure is operationally necessary.
“(ii) Non-delegable authority.—The Director may not
delegate his or her authority under this subparagraph.
“(5) Reporting requirements.—
“(A) Initial report.—
“(i) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of
2025, the Secretary shall submit a report regarding the
establishment of the Center to—
“(I) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
“(II) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate;
“(III) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives; and
“(IV) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives.
“(ii) Contents.—The report required under clause (i)
shall include a description of—
“(I) the organizational structure of the Center;
“(II) the agencies and partner organizations that are
represented within the Center;
“(III) any challenges required to be addressed while
establishing the Center;
“(IV) any lessons learned from establishing the Center,
including successful prosecutions resulting from the
activities of the Center;
“(V) recommendations for ways to strengthen the
enforcement of laws involving organized retail and supply
chain crime;
“(VI) the intersections and commonalities between
organized retail crime organizations and other organized
theft groups, including supply chain diversion and theft; and
“(VII) the impact of organized theft groups on the
scarcity of vital products, including medicines, personal
protective equipment, and infant formula.
“(B) Annual report.—Beginning on the date that is 1 year
after the submission of the report required under
subparagraph (A), and each year thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit an annual report that describes the activities
of the Center during the previous year to the congressional
committees listed in subparagraph (A)(i).
“(6) Sunset.—
“(A) In general.—The authority of the Center shall
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date on which
the Center is established under paragraph (1).
“(B) Wind down.—The Secretary shall take such actions as
may be necessary to wind down the Center in accordance with
subparagraph (A).
“(c) Training and Technical Assistance.—
“(1) Evaluation.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of
2025, the Secretary and the Attorney General shall conduct an
evaluation of existing Federal programs that provide grants,
training, and technical support to State, local, and Tribal
law enforcement to assist in countering organized retail and
supply chain crime.
“(2) Evaluation scope.—The evaluation required under
paragraph (1) shall evaluate, at a minimum—
“(A) the Homeland Security Grant Program at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency;
“(B) grant programs at the Office of Justice Programs
within the Department of Justice; and
“(C) relevant training programs at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center.
“(3) Report.—Not later than 45 days after the completion
of the evaluation required under paragraph (1), the Secretary
and the Attorney General shall jointly submit a report to the
congressional committees listed in subsection (b)(5)(A)(i)
that—
“(A) describes the results of such evaluation; and
“(B) includes recommendations on ways to expand grants,
training, and technical assistance for combating organized
retail and supply chain crime.
“(4) Enhancing or modifying training and technical
assistance.—Not later than 45 days after submitting the
report required under paragraph (3), the Secretary and the
Attorney General shall jointly issue formal guidance to
relevant agencies and offices within the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for modifying
or expanding, as appropriate, the prioritization of training
and technical assistance designed to counter organized retail
and supply chain crime.”.
(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents for the
Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (Public
Law 114-125; 130 Stat. 122) is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 305 the following:
“Sec. 305A. Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination
Center.”.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Knott) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I first would like to begin by commending my good friend and colleague from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), for the hard work that he has put into not only drafting but ushering this legislation to where we are today.
CORCA, was the biproduct of collaboration of Members on both sides of the aisle, law enforcement, industry leaders, shipping and transportation companies, and small business owners throughout this country. I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this effort.
H.R. 2853 is an answer to the significant and persistent increase in organized retail crime that we have seen ballooning in recent years across the United States.
including everything from theft offenses such as stealing items from convenience stores to cargo theft, gift card theft, and stolen or cloned credit cards. While this may seem isolated or even miniscule when looked at alone, this problem has been escalating across the country at a vast scale.
crime is hard to specify and difficult to quantify, it is estimated conservatively that up to $100 billion annually is the direct cost to businesses across the country.
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Organized crime is forcing businesses to close. It is endangering the public. It contributes to the rise in prices for consumers wherever it is. Many organized retail crime rings operate across State and, of course, international lines.
local governments, the cross-border nature of organized retail crime makes it difficult for State and local law enforcement agencies to fight these crimes, even if just on a resource level alone.
shoplifter who steals an item of food or some small item that is of little consequence. Rather, this bill is going after the professional thieves, those who are repeat offenders who steal for profit and do so on a large scale.
H.R. 2853 provides Federal prosecutors with additional tools to prosecute these and other instances of organized retail crime.
charge receipt of stolen goods or transportation of stolen goods when the stolen property reaches an aggregate value of $5,000 or more over a 12-month period. It also expands the definition of monetary instrument in the Federal money laundering statute to include general-use prepaid cards, gift certificates, and store gift cards.
increasingly utilizing gift card schemes to defraud stores and consumers. These groups record the gift card data in the store, receive notifications when the funds are loaded onto the same card, and then drain the balance before the consumer has the opportunity to use those funds.
criminal forfeiture of assets from convictions related to the interstate shipment, transportation, or sale of stolen goods.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, it establishes a center to combat organized retail and supply chain crime within the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The center will be tasked with coordinating Federal law enforcement activities related to organized retail and supply chain crime, including investigations of transnational criminal organizations.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. This bipartisan legislation will address the crisis of organized interstate criminal theft schemes that are costing the retail sector and consumers tens of billions of dollars a year but are often too complex for State law enforcement and prosecutors to address on their own.
expressing urgent concern that organized retail crime has become a significant threat both to public safety and to the viability of a retail sector already hard-hit by online commerce—threatening the viability of businesses of all sizes, from cargo brokers, shippers, big box stores, and online marketplaces to small, family-owned ma-and-pa retailers.
time from our constituents. When we talk about the problem, we are talking
to commit large-scale theft of merchandise for resale or to defraud retailers and convert the proceeds directly into cash or cryptocurrency.
episodes of theft. We are talking about a multibillion-dollar criminal industry that grows, evolves, and adapts rapidly to the latest technology, security improvements, and modified business practices. These kinds of operations are centrally coordinated, enabled by technology, and very difficult to stop by local police forces.
workers in every sector, this kind of crime hits small businesses especially hard. Family-owned businesses simply cannot afford to replace lost inventory, increase security, make unplanned repairs, and pay the higher insurance premiums that are associated with this criminal epidemic. Small businesses do not have the funds set aside to recruit new employees to replace those who quit because they fear for their safety.
Organized retail crime is centralized and sophisticated. Combating it requires a coordinated Federal law enforcement response. This legislation is a targeted, bipartisan effort to address organized, multi-State criminal networks. It is designed to improve coordination among existing partners, not to expand Federal authority beyond its current legislative scope.
To be clear, let's go through exactly what CORCA does. It creates an organized retail and supply chain coordination center to help local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies across America better analyze the problem and formulate more targeted and effective solutions. The information-sharing provisions are intended to help police forces work together, along with private-sector entities, to prosecute and disrupt the large criminal enterprises that are perpetrating networks of organized retail crime.
month period to meet the $5,000 minimum threshold for Federal jurisdiction over certain crimes. It fixes some loopholes in money laundering statutes so that those using gift cards to launder the proceeds of their organized retail crime can no longer dodge money laundering charges.
recommendations to Congress for strengthening grant programs for training and technical assistance.
is extended, gives the Federal Government no new authorities. These new activities will take place entirely within existing legal frameworks. It leverages the strengths of local, State, and Federal law enforcement to foster a coordinated response across State lines and, indeed, international borders.
have lost its way completely, this bill is intended to focus its agents on a staggeringly serious problem that demands their focused attention and expertise.
Some of my colleagues have raised concerns that the $5,000 threshold in this bill would trigger the involvement of the DOJ in what could be a local shoplifting case. In practice, however, longstanding DOJ policy advises Federal prosecutors to prioritize cases with much higher dollar amounts, leaving most retail theft cases to be charged by State authorities, which cannot effectively pursue cases across State lines. This policy disparity creates an enforcement gap that organized retail theft rings have learned to exploit. It is precisely this reason that gives rise to this legislation.
H.R. 2853 is focused on organized criminal enterprises engaged in cargo theft, gift card fraud, and other large-scale retail theft. These are not isolated incidents or opportunistic low-level offenses. They involve structured networks that move goods and money across jurisdictions, operating with a level of coordination that makes them difficult to detect and prosecute.
H.R. 2853 is a bipartisan effort to address a nationwide problem that indeed requires coordination across agencies, different levels of government, and private industry sectors. By strengthening information- sharing and aligning existing resources, this bill will help law enforcement agencies at every level of government more effectively identify, disrupt, and prosecute coordinated criminal enterprises.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in strong support of my legislation, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.
Organized retail crime is far beyond isolated shoplifting. It is a highly coordinated criminal enterprise that harms businesses, workers, and families in every corner of our country.
operations involving violence and intimidation, putting the lives of retail workers, small business owners, and everyday shoppers at risk. They disrupt supply chains, drive up costs, and create economic shock waves that reach far beyond the retail sector.
First, it puts hardworking Americans in danger. Our truck drivers and rail workers play an essential role in keeping this country running, and they should not have to fear for their safety on the job.
Second, these crimes disrupt supply chains and raise consumer prices. As we have seen in recent years, when supply chains break down, it is hardworking families who are ultimately paying the price.
{time} 1630
resold for profit. In many cases, the proceeds are used to finance broader criminal activity, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and weapons trafficking.
tools they need to combat this growing epidemic. By establishing an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security, this legislation will improve coordination among Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies.
criminal investigations and hold those threatening our businesses and our communities accountable.
nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country.
especially this Police Week, and demonstrate that Congress will always stand with law enforcement, protect small businesses, and fight organized crime.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Lee), who represents the Third District of Nevada and has been such a great champion for this legislation and has educated a lot of the Congress about it, along with her colleague (Ms. Titus), who represents the First District.
Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, during Police Week, I am proud to stand in support of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.
Organized retail crime puts all of us in danger. This isn't typical shoplifting. It involves integrated organized networks, often transnational, who are very sophisticated in planning and reselling their items.
consumers, taxpayers, and businesses of all sizes. In fact, it is especially small businesses that often lack security teams, can't absorb large losses, and face higher insurance costs that are hurt the most.
because these organized groups often resell their stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations.
affected
by organized retail crime. In Nevada alone, organized retail crime has caused an estimated loss of $85 million in tax revenues and close to a half a billion dollars in the total amount of goods stolen each year.
This isn't just a financial issue, however. It is a public safety one. Shoppers and retail employees face intimidation, threats, and real physical danger.
We need to work to dismantle these criminal networks. Our local and State law enforcement agencies are doing incredible work, but this shouldn't be left up to local police alone. We need coordination at the Federal level to investigate and prosecute these crimes and link activity across State and transnational lines.
Federal offense and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on criminal operations.
legislation, and I ask both Democrats and Republicans to join me in passing it to support our local businesses, equip our law enforcement with the resources they need, and keep our retail workers and customers safe.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus), representing the First District of Nevada.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act legislation, which I am proud to co-lead and have been working on since 2021 with then-Representative Buck.
about from businesses, workers, law enforcement, and community leaders, not just in Nevada, but across the country.
kid stealing a candy bar. They require a strong Federal response to protect consumers, local businesses, and transportation networks.
bill will work, I ask my colleagues to just think about it in personal terms. When a customer gets ready to go to a store, whether it is to buy razor blades from Target or an electric saw from Home Depot, what do they find? They find all of these things locked behind glass doors. They then have to call an assistant. The customer has to wait. They can't play with whatever it is or read the description or the specs because this is all locked away protecting it from organized retail crime.
Now, what has that done? That has made it more expensive and more inconvenient. It leads to people staying at home because they are reluctant to go shopping, and they will just do it online. This hurts local businesses, and also it cuts down tax revenue for local governments.
who engage in this type of crime. They use this money to fund trafficking of all types: humans, drugs, and guns.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in supporting this legislation that will protect workers and customers, support our businesses, and strengthen public safety.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend my friend and colleague (Mr. Raskin) from Maryland for his considerable scholarship and efforts in getting this bill to the floor. We certainly wouldn't be here without his assistance, and I am grateful for it.
Mr. Speaker, as a Federal prosecutor in my previous career, I worked many years in the organized crime space. I investigated crimes like these. I spoke with the criminals. There is, as we have already discussed, a very deep need for this bill that the general public does not often see. I am not talking about shoplifters. I am not talking about the individual acts of random crime. I am talking about the more proficient domestic and international actors that have a real effect on every business and every customer in this country.
This bill is highly targeted in its scope. It addresses an important issue that is ongoing within our country, and it does not usurp local authority.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is an important measure that will protect consumers. It will protect businesses, and it will protect employees all over the United States.
H.R. 2853, COMBATTING ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME ACT OF 2025, AS REPORTED BY
————————————————————————————————————
By fiscal year, millions of
dollars—
—————————————————-
———————————————————————————————————— Direct Spending (Outlays)........... * * * Revenues............................ * * * Increase or Decrease (-) in the * * * Deficit............................ Spending Subject to Appropriation 8 114 ** (Outlays).......................... ———————————————————————————————————— * = between -$500,000 and $500,000. ** = not estimated.
Increases net direct spending in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037? *
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2037? No.
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? Yes.
Mandate Effects:
Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
Contains private-sector mandate? No.
H.R. 2853 would establish a center within Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) to coordinate federal law
enforcement activities related to the organized theft of
cargo, shipments, and goods, or the transport of counterfeit
goods. Under the bill, the center would assist state and
local law enforcement agencies with investigations, share
information with relevant parties, and track trends related
to those crimes. The authority for the center would terminate
seven years after its creation.
The bill would require ICE to report annually to the
Congress on the center's activities. The bill also would
require the Department of Homeland Security and the
Department of Justice to evaluate federal programs that
provide grants, training, and technical support to state and
local governments to assist in countering such crimes, and
report to the Congress on their findings.
H.R. 2853 would create new criminal penalties for
laundering money from the proceeds of selling or transporting
stolen or counterfeit goods, or for using prepaid cards, gift
certificates, and store gift cards to launder money. The bill
also would create new criminal penalties for transporting,
receiving, or selling stolen or counterfeit goods whose
aggregate value is $5,000 or more in any 12-month period.
Lastly, the bill would require federal courts to impose
criminal forfeiture for the transportation or sale of stolen
goods.
The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are
shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within
budget function 750 (administration of justice).
TABLE 1.—ESTIMATED BUDGETARY EFFECTS OF H.R. 2853 ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
By fiscal year, millions of dollars—
———————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Estimated Authorization.................. 10 21 21 22 22 23 119 Estimated Outlays........................ 8 18 21 22 22 23 114 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————— CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2853 would increase direct spending and revenues by less than $500,000 over the
2026-2036 period.
Based on the costs of similar programs within ICE, such as
the Intellectual Property Rights Center and the Center for
Countering Human Trafficking, CBO estimates that the new
center would cost about $20 million annually, primarily for
personnel. Further, we expect that the bill's reporting
requirements would cost less than $500,000. On that basis,
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2853 would cost $114
million over the 2026-2031 period, assuming appropriation of
the necessary amounts.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2853 would increase the
receipt of both criminal penalties and forfeitures. Criminal
penalties and forfeitures are recorded as revenues, deposited
into the Crime Victims Fund and the government's forfeiture
funds, respectively,
and later spent without further appropriation. Using data
from the U.S. Sentencing Commission for similar offenses, CBO
expects that only a small number of people would be subject
to penalties or forfeiture under the bill. On that basis, CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 2853 would increase revenues and
the consequent direct spending by less than $500,000 over the
2026-2036 period. The effect on the deficit would be
negligible.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, let the word go out to all of the organized retail criminal conspiracies, outfits, operations, and racketeering enterprises across America and the world that we are going to have an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center. We are going to be working between the Federal Government and the State and local governments in order to crack down on this very serious threat to our small businesses, some bigger businesses, and to all of the consumers and the people of the country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished former prosecutor and Congressman from North Carolina (Mr. Knott) for his leadership on this.
We are not powerless. There is definitely something that we can do to stop this. This is a clear and effective bipartisan solution before us.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support H.R. 2853, and I am happy to yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Knott) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2853, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.