Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025
People involved in organized retail theft and cargo theft across state lines will face tougher federal prosecution, asset seizures, and money laundering charges, even when using store gift cards to hide profits. Federal prosecutors can now combine multiple smaller thefts totaling $5,000 or more over a 12-month period to charge suspects with federal felonies. The bill also establishes a dedicated federal coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security to share theft intelligence and investigative resources among retailers, freight companies, and local police departments.
What this bill touches.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- State, local, and tribal law enforcement agenciesReceives investigative support, intelligence sharing, coordinated multi-agency assistance, and expanded federal training and technical assistance to combat retail and cargo theft (Sec. 4(a)).
- Retail and transportation companiesGains access to a federal information-sharing mechanism, threat intelligence, and collaborative loss-prevention and investigative support through the new Coordination Center (Sec. 4(a)).
Who it burdens
- Individuals engaging in interstate theft, cargo theft, and trafficking of stolen goodsFaces new criminal forfeiture of property and proceeds, easier felony thresholds via 12-month aggregation of stolen goods, and expanded exposure to federal money laundering charges involving gift cards and prepaid cards (Sec. 3).
- Department of Homeland SecurityMust establish, staff, and run the Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center for seven years, conduct reviews of federal grant and training programs, and submit annual congressional reports (Sec. 4(a)).
- Businesses with confidential commercial information involved in supply chain investigationsFaces potential disclosure of their confidential commercial information across partner agencies without standard Trade Secrets Act restrictions when deemed operationally necessary for investigations (Sec. 4(a)).
The provisions, in plain language.
Show all 8 provisions
Expands federal money laundering laws to cover transactions involving store gift cards, gift certificates, and general-use prepaid cards.
Classifies interstate cargo theft, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and trafficking in stolen goods as predicate offenses that can trigger federal money laundering charges.
Allows federal prosecutors to charge individuals with interstate transportation of stolen property by combining the value of multiple thefts over any 12-month period to meet the $5,000 threshold, and broadens the law to cover goods obtained by embezzlement or fraud.
Allows federal prosecutors to charge individuals with buying, selling, or receiving stolen goods across state lines by aggregating the value of goods received over any 12-month period to meet the $5,000 threshold.
Directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish a multi-agency Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to coordinate investigations, share intelligence with retailers, and support state and local law enforcement for a period of seven years.
Authorizes federal courts to order the criminal forfeiture of property and proceeds involved in or derived from interstate cargo theft, interstate transportation of stolen goods, or the sale and receipt of stolen goods.
Authorizes the Director of the new coordination center to share otherwise confidential business information with partner agencies when operationally necessary for retail and supply chain crime investigations.
Directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to evaluate federal grant and training programs and issue guidance to expand technical assistance and funding for state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
Expands federal money laundering laws to cover transactions involving store gift cards, gift certificates, and general-use prepaid cards.
Classifies interstate cargo theft, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and trafficking in stolen goods as predicate offenses that can trigger federal money laundering charges.
Allows federal prosecutors to charge individuals with interstate transportation of stolen property by combining the value of multiple thefts over any 12-month period to meet the $5,000 threshold, and broadens the law to cover goods obtained by embezzlement or fraud.
Allows federal prosecutors to charge individuals with buying, selling, or receiving stolen goods across state lines by aggregating the value of goods received over any 12-month period to meet the $5,000 threshold.
Directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish a multi-agency Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to coordinate investigations, share intelligence with retailers, and support state and local law enforcement for a period of seven years.
How your members of Congress line up
How members voted on Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025.
Recorded roll calls on this bill, most recent first. Open one to see each member's position.
How it moved.
Show all 15 actions
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 348 - 60 (Roll no. 157). (text: CR H3364-3366)
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 348 - 60 (Roll no. 157). (text: CR H3364-3366)
- Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H3376)
- At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2853.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3364-3369)
- Mr. Knott moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 402.
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-471.
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 348 - 60 (Roll no. 157). (text: CR H3364-3366)
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 348 - 60 (Roll no. 157). (text: CR H3364-3366)
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-471.
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Introduced in House
Read it for yourself.
Sources & provenance
Cite this page
Civic Herald. “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (H.R. 2853, 119th Congress).” https://civicherald.app/bills/119-hr-2853. Congress.gov record as of Aug 10, 2026.