United States HR 9480: Empowering Law Enforcement to Combat Financial Fraud Act

Bill Text

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118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. R. 9480
To permit State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies that receive
eligible Federal grant funds to use such funds for investigating senior
financial fraud, pig butchering, and general financial fraud, and to clarify
that Federal law enforcement agencies may assist State, local, and Tribal
law enforcement agencies in the use of tracing tools for blockchain
and related technology, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024
Mr. NUNN of Iowa (for himself, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, and Mr. FITZGERALD) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned
A BILL
To permit State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies
that receive eligible Federal grant funds to use such
funds for investigating senior financial fraud, pig butch-
ering, and general financial fraud, and to clarify that
Federal law enforcement agencies may assist State, local,
and Tribal law enforcement agencies in the use of tracing
tools for blockchain and related technology, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Empowering Law En-2
forcement to Combat Financial Fraud Act’’. 3
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 4
In this Act: 5
(1) ELIGIBLE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS.—The 6
term ‘‘eligible Federal grant funds’’ means funds re-7
ceived under the following: 8
(A) The Department of Justice Economic, 9
High-Technology, White Collar, and Internet 10
Crime Prevention National Training and Tech-11
nical Assistance Program. 12
(B) The Department of Justice Informa-13
tion Sharing Training and Technical Assistance 14
Program. 15
(C) The Department of Justice Internet of 16
Things National Training and Technical Assist-17
ance Program. 18
(D) Section 1401 of the Violence Against 19
Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (34 20
U.S.C. 30107; relating to Local Law Enforce-21
ment Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes 22
Against Individuals). 23
(E) Section 2220A of the Homeland Secu-24
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 665g; relating to the 25
State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program). 26
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(F) The National Cybersecurity Prepared-1
ness Consortium Act of 2021 (6 U.S.C. 652 2
note; relating to the National Cybersecurity 3
Preparedness Consortium). 4
(G) The Department of Justice COPS 5
Technology and Equipment Program. 6
(2) GENERAL FINANCIAL FRAUD.—The term 7
‘‘general financial fraud’’ means the intentional mis-8
representation of information or identity to deceive 9
others, the unlawful use of a credit card, debit card, 10
or automated teller machine or the use of electronic 11
means to transmit deceptive information, in order to 12
obtain money or other things of value. 13
(3) PIG BUTCHERING.—The term ‘‘pig butch-14
ering’’ means a confidence and investment fraud in 15
which the victim is gradually lured into making in-16
creasing monetary contributions, generally in the 17
form of cryptocurrency, to a seemingly sound invest-18
ment before the scammer disappears with the con-19
tributed monies. 20
(4) SENIOR FINANCIAL FRAUD.—The term 21
‘‘senior financial fraud’’ means the illegal or im-22
proper use of an elderly or adult with a disability’s 23
money, property, or other resources for monetary or 24
personal benefit, profit, or gain. 25
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(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 1
the several States, the District of Columbia, and 2
each territory of the United States. 3
SEC. 3. FEDERAL GRANTS USED FOR INVESTIGATING SEN-4
IOR FINANCIAL FRAUD, PIG BUTCHERING, 5
AND GENERAL FINANCIAL FRAUD. 6
(a) IN GENERAL.—State, local, and Tribal law en-7
forcement agencies that receive eligible Federal grant 8
funds may use such funds for investigating senior finan-9
cial fraud, pig butchering, and general financial fraud, in-10
cluding by— 11
(1) hiring and retaining analysts, agents, ex-12
perts, and other personnel; 13
(2) providing training specific to complex finan-14
cial investigations, including training on— 15
(A) coordination and collaboration between 16
State, local, Tribal, and Federal law enforce-17
ment agencies; 18
(B) assisting victims of financial fraud and 19
exploitation; 20
(C) the use of blockchain intelligence tools 21