Bill

HR 1156

Congratulating Diego Romero of El Paso Americas High School on his outstanding performances during the 2024 cross country season.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Mary González

Extends the statute of limitations to 10 years for criminal and civil cases involving fraud in pandemic unemployment programs, boosting enforcement and recoveries.

Reported enrolled

#romero #diego(nj5ku) #resolutions--congratulatory&honorary(i0705)

WeVote Research Nonpartisan

Bill Summary · HR 1156

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

Note on numbering: The user-supplied title referencing a congratulatory resolution for a student (Diego Romero) does not match the committee report and bill text for H.R. 1156. The authoritative text and House Report (H. Rept. 119‑6) show H.R. 1156 as the “Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act.” Legislative entries later in May show a separate local/congratulatory action using similar calendar procedures. This summary covers the substantive Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act as reported in H. Rept. 119‑6.

Purpose and intent

To strengthen federal enforcement of pandemic-era unemployment fraud by extending the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions involving fraudulent claims for pandemic-funded unemployment benefits from 5 years to 10 years, thereby giving law enforcement and civil authorities more time to investigate, prosecute, and recover misspent funds.

Key provisions

Adds a 10-year statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions "with respect to any unemployment compensation claim funded in whole or in part" by the CARES Act pandemic programs:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) — amending section 2102 (15 U.S.C. 9021)
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) — amending section 2104(f) (15 U.S.C. 9023(f))
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) — amending section 2107(e) (15 U.S.C. 9025(e))
Covered offenses include violations or conspiracies to violate a list of federal statutes commonly used in fraud prosecutions: 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 641, 1028A, 1029, 1341, 1343, 1344, 1349, 1956, 1957; and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729, 3801.
Exception: the extension does not revive prosecutions or civil actions whose applicable statute of limitations had already expired before the Act’s enactment.
Budget offset: rescinds $5,000,000 from unobligated balances made available by section 2118(a) of title II of division A of P.L. 116‑136 (a CARES Act appropriation) to offset costs.
Effective date: amendments take effect on the date of enactment.

Who is affected

Individuals who submitted fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits may face prosecution or civil enforcement up to 10 years after the offense.
Federal prosecutors (DOJ), agency enforcement divisions, and civil litigants gain a longer period to bring cases and seek recoveries.
Federal budgetary accounts are modestly affected by the $5 million rescission used as an offset.

Procedural and timeline highlights

Introduced: February 10, 2025; referred to House Ways and Means.
Committee action: Reported (Amended) by Committee on Ways and Means (H. Rept. 119‑6) — reported Feb 25, 2025; ordered reported Feb 12, 2025 (24–18).
House passage: Passed by the House on March 11, 2025 (Yeas 295 – Nays 127, Roll No. 68).
Senate: Received and placed on Senate Legislative Calendar; read in Senate March 12–13, 2025.
Final entries in provided record: “Reported enrolled” and local/consent calendar actions in May 2025.

Potential impact

Extends the timeframe for recovering funds and prosecuting fraud tied to pandemic unemployment programs — potentially enabling additional criminal prosecutions and civil recoveries that would otherwise be time-barred.
The $5 million rescission is a small one-time budgetary offset relative to pandemic-era benefit totals; the principal fiscal impact is through enforcement recoveries rather than new spending.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.