H.R. 2853

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · April 10, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Joyce of Ohio · Committee: Committee on the Judiciary

Table of contents

• H.R. 2853
  • Sec. 305A. Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center.

Sec. 305A. Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term Center means the Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center established pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
    • The term includes— organized retail and supply chain crime
    • The term means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    • The term 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 , 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—
      • 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;
      • 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;
      • assisting State and local law enforcement agencies with State and local investigations of organized retail and supply chain crime groups;
      • 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;
      • 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;
      • tracking trends with respect to organized retail and supply chain crime and releasing annual public reports on such trends; and
      • 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—
        • U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
        • the United States Secret Service;
        • the United States Postal Inspection Service;
        • the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
        • the Drug Enforcement Administration;
        • the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
        • 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) 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) The Director may not delegate his or her authority under this subparagraph.
  • (5) Reporting requirements
    • (A) Initial report
      • (i) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the , the Secretary shall submit a report regarding the establishment of the Center to—
      • the ;
      • the ; and
      • the .
      • (ii) The report required under clause (i) shall include a description of—
      • the organizational structure of the Center;
      • the agencies and partner organizations that are represented within the Center;
      • any challenges required to be addressed while establishing the Center;
      • any lessons learned from establishing the Center, including successful prosecutions resulting from the activities of the Center;
      • recommendations for ways to strengthen the enforcement of laws involving organized retail and supply chain crime;
      • the intersections and commonalities between organized retail crime organizations and other organized theft groups, including supply chain diversion and theft; and
      • 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).
      • In general
    • (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 , 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—
      • the Homeland Security Grant Program at the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
      • grant programs at the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice; and
      • 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—
      • describes the results of such evaluation; and
      • 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.