No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act

119th Congress Introduced by Joni Ernst

The bill bars any covered person tied to a terminated federal provider from federal contracts, grants, loans, subawards, or related funding.

Introduced in Senate

Summary of Bill: No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act (S. 5314, 118th Congress; introduced Aug 6, 2026)

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to restrict certain individuals and entities—deemed “covered persons”—from participating in federal programs. Specifically, it seeks to cut off access to federal contracts, grants, loans, subawards, reimbursements, and other financial transactions for those tied to terminated providers through ownership, co-residency, or marriage.

Key provisions and changes

Definitions (Section 2(a))

Covered person means an individual or entity who:
(A) owns a terminated provider; or
(B) resides with the owner of a terminated provider; or
(C) is the spouse of the owner of a terminated provider.
Spouse is limited by two exclusions:
A spouse who is living apart from the individual as of the last day of the most recent tax year.
A spouse who is a survivor of domestic abuse or of spousal abandonment by the current spouse.
Terminated provider means a former contractor or provider of a service under a Federal program, where the contract for the service was terminated by the Federal Government due to fraud or a criminal conviction.

Prohibition (Section 2(b))

A covered person may not:
Enter into a contract with the Federal Government.
Receive a grant, loan, subaward, or reimbursement from the Federal Government.
Enter into any other financial transaction for goods or services paid for in part or full by the Federal Government.

Who would be affected

Individuals or entities connected to terminated federal providers through ownership, co-residence, or spousal relationship (with the specified exceptions for certain estranged or abused spouses) could be barred from federal contracting and funding opportunities.

The restrictions would apply to new federal contracts or funding transactions involving the covered person.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Joni Ernst (co-sponsor) and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for consideration.

The short title is the “No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act.”

There are no specific implementation dates or transition timelines provided in the text provided; the mechanism would depend on enactment and subsequent agency regulations.

Additional context

The bill targets integrity in federal programs by attempting to prevent individuals tied to providers with fraud or criminal convictions from benefiting from federal funds or contracts.

The definition of “spouse” includes important exemptions to avoid penalizing individuals who are separated for safety reasons or who have experienced abuse or abandonment.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to existing federal debarment or ineligibility statutes (e.g., sanctions on individuals linked to terminated providers) or outline potential policy implications and implementation considerations.