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H.R. 8873 119th Congress House

Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act

Official title: To recover unclaimed pandemic-era unemployment compensation funds held by financial institutions or escheated to State unclaimed property administrators, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 19, 2026 Introduced by: Beth Van Duyne Republican · Texas See on congress.gov
Finance and Financial Sector Advisory bodiesCardiovascular and respiratory healthEmergency medical services and trauma careFraud offenses and financial crimes
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Government studies and investigationsInfectious and parasitic diseasesIntergovernmental relationsState and local financeState and local government operationsUnemployment
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 Everywhere this bill has been 13 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 13, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:46 PM EDT
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:46 PM EDT
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4269-4270)
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:31 PM EDT
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8873.
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:46 PM EDT
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4269-4270)
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:31 PM EDT
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4269-4272)
Jun 29, 2026 · 2:31 PM EDT
Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
May 29, 2026
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 585.
May 29, 2026
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-671.
May 21, 2026
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 41 - 0.
May 21, 2026
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
May 19, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
May 19, 2026
Introduced in House
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What's happening now July 13, 2026

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act

This bill extends to 10 years the statute of limitations for federal criminal charges or civil enforcement actions for fraud related to several unemployment insurance programs that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also establishes a task force to locate fraudulent payments and develop strategies to recover such payments.

The extension applies to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. The bill extends the statute of limitations for (1) criminal charges related to fraud, including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud (currently subject to a 5-year statute of limitations); and (2) civil actions involving false claims (currently subject to a 6-year statute of limitations). However, the bill does not apply to a criminal prosecution or civil enforcement action if the applicable statute of limitations expired before the date of the bill's enactment.

The task force established by this bill must

  • coordinate with state agencies to identify federal pandemic unemployment compensation payments held by financial institutions and other entities or held by state agencies responsible for unclaimed property, 
  • coordinate with federal agencies to develop model processes that result in the cost-effective recovery of such payments,
  • issue guidance to financial institutions on legal pathways for returning such payments, and
  • issue guidance to state unclaimed property agencies on their obligation to review and return such payments.  
 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 1156 Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act
 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 4

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

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 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1
R
Feenstra, Randy
Iowa · May 21, 2026
 D
Suozzi, Thomas R.
New York · May 19, 2026
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 8873: Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-8873/
MLA
"H.R. 8873: Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-8873/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 8873, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-8873/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 8873: Recover COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-8873/)
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