Bill > S4747

This bill, titled the "Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act," aims to empower government agencies to prevent fraudulent payments by allowing them to temporarily pause, condition, or segment payment requests before they are finalized. This authority is triggered if an agency official determines there's a significant risk of fraud, based on specific indicators or if a state or local government notifies the agency of such a risk in federally funded programs they administer. The Secretary of the Treasury also has the power to order a return of a payment voucher if their "Do Not Pay" system, which identifies potential fraud or improper payments, flags a payment. Agencies must document their reasons for pausing payments, limit the pause to the specific portion of the payment at risk, and notify the payee of the pause and the reasons for it, providing a process for the payee to contest the decision. Routine payments are to be allowed to proceed while higher-risk portions are reviewed, and the bill includes provisions to protect government employees acting in good faith and outlines reporting requirements for the Treasury Department on the effectiveness of these new measures.