- Federal agenciesCreates a centralized federal hub to coordinate multijurisdictional investigations and intelligence sharing.
- Targeted stakeholdersExpands prosecutorial tools, including aggregated theft treatment and broader forfeiture references against criminal pr…
- WorkersFacilitates structured information sharing and collaboration with retailers and carriers to prevent theft and diversion.
Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
This bill amends federal criminal statutes to broaden and clarify offenses related to interstate theft, transportation, and sale of stolen goods, including lowering or aggregating value thresholds for federal prosecution.
It requires including certain payment instruments in money-laundering language.
The bill creates an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within DHS/ICE to coordinate federal, state, local, tribal, and private-sector efforts, with reporting, training evaluations, and a seven-year sunset.
Moderate chance: practical, non‑ideological objectives and compromise features favor enactment, but funding, federalization, and jurisdictional concerns create obstacles.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is primarily a substantive policy change that also establishes an interagency coordination and reporting entity; it is precise in statutory amendments and clear on implementation timelines, but it lacks explicit resourcing and some safeguards.
Placement in DHS/ICE: civil-liberties risk vs law-enforcement focus
Who stands to gain, and who may push back.
- Federal agenciesExpands federal criminal jurisdiction, potentially overlapping State authority and prosecutions.
- Targeted stakeholdersAllows broader information sharing that may raise privacy and confidentiality concerns under existing law.
- Targeted stakeholdersRelies on DHS/ICE leadership, which may raise concerns about conflating immigration enforcement with retail crime effor…
Why the argument around this bill splits.
Placement in DHS/ICE: civil-liberties risk vs law-enforcement focus
Cautiously mixed.
Supportive of worker and consumer safety goals and curbing large-scale cargo theft, but wary of locating the new center inside DHS/ICE and of expanded information sharing with private industry.
Concerned about civil liberties, migrant exploitation claims in findings, and potential over-criminalization.
Generally favorable but pragmatic.
Sees value in stronger federal coordination and resource support for state and local agencies.
Wants clearer metrics, budget estimates, and safeguards on information sharing and civil liberties.
Broadly supportive.
Prioritizes stronger law-enforcement tools against organized theft and cargo diversion, favors federal coordination to stop criminal resale networks.
May object to perceived inefficiencies, but welcomes tougher federal reach against interstate criminal enterprises.
The path through Congress.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Moderate chance: practical, non‑ideological objectives and compromise features favor enactment, but funding, federalization, and jurisdictional concerns create obstacles.
- No explicit appropriations or cost estimate included
- Potential state‑federal jurisdiction objections in Judiciary review
Recent votes on the bill.
The House fast-tracked this bill — skipping normal debate — and it passed with a two-thirds majority. It now moves to the Senate.
What is a fast-track passage?Hide explanation
Suspending the rules allows the House to bypass normal debate procedures and pass a bill immediately with a two-thirds vote.
Go deeper than the headline read.
Placement in DHS/ICE: civil-liberties risk vs law-enforcement focus
Moderate chance: practical, non‑ideological objectives and compromise features favor enactment, but funding, federalization, and jurisdicti…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is primarily a substantive policy change that also establishes an interagency coordination and reporting entity; it is precise in statutory amendments and clear on im…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.