Bill > S3652

This bill, titled the "Welfare Fraud Deterrence and Recovery Act of 2026," aims to strengthen penalties and recovery efforts for welfare fraud. It proposes increasing the maximum prison sentence for defrauding Federal welfare programs to 15 years, with mandatory minimums of 2 years for noncitizens or naturalized citizens and 5 years if the fraud exceeds $100,000. The bill also introduces significant immigration consequences, making individuals who have been denaturalized due to welfare fraud inadmissible to the U.S. for 20 years, and expanding grounds for deportation and expedited removal for aliens convicted of fraud offenses. Furthermore, it establishes a Welfare Fraud Recovery Task Force within the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and recover funds lost to fraud in Federal welfare programs, which are defined to include various public benefits. This task force is authorized to bring civil actions against individuals who submit false claims or engage in fraudulent activities, seeking civil penalties, treble damages, and attorney fees, with enhanced penalties for noncitizens. Recovered funds will be deposited into a Welfare Fraud Recovery Fund to reimburse programs and support the task force's operations. The bill also mandates interstate and cross-border cooperation for investigating and recovering funds from complex fraud schemes, including information sharing, joint investigations, and utilizing international agreements.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3652/all-info