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HR1156FEDERALSession 119Federal Billpassed chamber

Passed

Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act (H.R. 1156)

Original title: Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act

Last action · March 13, 2025: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 29.Sponsors: Jason Smith and 25 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

This bill extends the time limit for federal prosecutors and civil authorities to bring charges against individuals for fraud related to pandemic-era unemployment programs. It sets a 10-year for these specific cases and rescinds $5 million in previously allocated funds to offset the bill's costs.

Why it matters

The bill increases the window for the government to pursue legal action against individuals suspected of pandemic unemployment fraud to 10 years from the date of the violation.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Individuals suspected of pandemic unemployment fraud

These individuals face a longer period during which they can be legally prosecuted or sued by the federal government.

Directly affected

Federal prosecutors and civil enforcement agencies

These agencies receive an extended timeframe to investigate and bring charges against individuals for pandemic-related unemployment fraud.

Key Facts

Establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for criminal and civil fraud enforcement related to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
Establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for fraud enforcement related to Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation.
Establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for fraud enforcement related to Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.
The 10-year limit applies to specific federal crimes including conspiracy, theft of government property, identity theft, wire fraud, and money laundering.

Show all 7 facts

The extension does not apply to cases where the existing statute of limitations had already expired before the bill's enactment.
Rescinds $5 million in unobligated funds from previous pandemic relief legislation (Public Law 116-136 and Public Law 117-2) to offset costs.
The provisions take effect immediately upon the date of the bill's enactment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill apply to fraud cases that have already expired?

No. The bill explicitly states that the 10-year extension does not apply if the for a specific case had already expired before the bill becomes law.

What specific types of fraud are covered?

The bill covers violations of various federal statutes, including those related to conspiracy, theft of public money, identity theft, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

18 actions

Mar 13, 2025Senate
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 29.
Mar 12, 2025Senate
Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Mar 11, 2025House
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Mar 11, 2025HouseFloor
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 295 - 127 (Roll no. 68). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1093-1094)
Mar 11, 2025HouseFloor
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 295 - 127 (Roll no. 68). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1093-1094)
Mar 11, 2025House
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1124)

Show 12 earlier actions

Mar 11, 2025House
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 1156, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Davis (IL) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
Mar 11, 2025House
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Mar 11, 2025House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1156.
Mar 11, 2025House
Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156 and H.R. 1968. The resolution provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156, and H.R. 1968 under a closed rule. Also, the resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure.
Mar 11, 2025House
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 211. (consideration: CR H1093-1099)
Mar 11, 2025House
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 211 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156 and H.R. 1968. The resolution provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156, and H.R. 1968 under a closed rule. Also, the resolution provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure.
Feb 25, 2025House
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 2.
Feb 25, 2025House
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-6.
Feb 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 18.
Feb 12, 2025House
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Feb 10, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Feb 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Voting Record

Outcome not reportedHouse3/11/2025Voteview

Total

422

Yes: 295
No: 127
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (422)

398 more members

Valerie FousheeDno

Katherine ClarkDno

Jefferson Van DrewRyes

Sydney Kamlager-DoveDno

Suhas SubramanyamDyes

Marilyn StricklandDno

Frederica WilsonDno

Troy NehlsRyes

Russ FulcherRyes

Kristen McDonald RivetDyes

Mario Diaz-BalartRyes

Christopher DeluzioDno

April McClain DelaneyDyes

Christopher SmithRyes

Monica De La CruzRyes

Beth Van DuyneRyes

Yassamin AnsariDno

Michael BaumgartnerRyes

Richard McCormickRyes

Anna Paulina LunaRyes

Veronica EscobarDyes

David ValadaoRyes

Trent KellyRyes

Brian FitzpatrickRyes

Maggie GoodlanderDyes

Nicole MalliotakisRyes

Brittany PettersenDno

Raja KrishnamoorthiDno

Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDno

George WhitesidesDyes

Robert ScottDno

Debbie Wasserman SchultzDno

Nicholas LangworthyRyes

Bonnie Watson ColemanDno

Teresa Leger FernandezDyes

Jared MoskowitzDno

Michelle FischbachRyes

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormickDno

Jennifer McClellanDno

Guy ReschenthalerRyes

Mariannette Miller-MeeksRyes

Robin KellyDno

Derrick Van OrdenRyes

Melanie StansburyDyes

Full roll-call analysis →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Related Legislation

Federal Bill

House Rules for Upcoming Votes on Digital Assets, Unemployment Fraud, and Federal Funding

This resolution sets the rules for how the House of Representatives will debate and vote on three specific measures: a challenge to an IRS rule on dig

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Extended Enforcement Window

The bill represents a legislative effort to retroactively extend the government's reach into pandemic-era financial records by standardizing a 10-year window for fraud prosecution.

CARES Act

Connected Entities

Jason Smith, House Ways and Means Committee

PersonJason Smith“Representative from Missouri who introduced the bill.”Map →

OrganizationHouse Ways and Means Committee“The House committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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