H.R. 2978
GUARD Act
Sponsor: Zachary Nunn
54 cosponsors
- Troy E. Nehls
- Derek Schmidt
- Glenn Ivey
- Gabe Evans
- Gary J. Palmer
- Brett Guthrie
- Dave Min
- Gabe Amo
- John W. Mannion
- Maria Elvira Salazar
- David G. Valadao
- Robert J. Wittman
- Burgess Owens
- Ashley Hinson
- Julie Fedorchak
- Sean Casten
- George Latimer
- Adam Smith
- Ken Calvert
- Young Kim
- Maggie Goodlander
- Laura Gillen
- Jennifer A. Kiggans
- Jefferson Shreve
- Eric Sorensen
- Julia Brownley
- George Whitesides
- Thomas R. Suozzi
- Michael Lawler
- Andy Barr
- Derek Tran
- Gabe Vasquez
- August Pfluger
- Timothy M. Kennedy
- Glenn Grothman
- Jefferson Van Drew
- Josh Gottheimer
- Scott Fitzgerald
- Tracey Mann
- Angie Craig
- Julie Johnson
- Jahana Hayes
- Susie Lee
- Tim Moore
- Troy Downing
- Monica De La Cruz
- Suhas Subramanyam
- Marlin A. Stutzman
- Thomas P. Tiffany
- Josh Harder
- Barry Moore
- Daniel Meuser
- Roger Williams
- Sarah McBride
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act of 2026 or the GUARD Act of 2026
This bill allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and grantees that receive funds from certain law enforcement grant programs to use the funds to investigate general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, and pig butchering. Pig butchering refers to a confidence and investment fraud in which a victim is gradually lured into transferring increasing amounts of money, generally in the form of cryptocurrency, into a fake virtual investment.
The bill allows federal law enforcement agencies to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and fusion centers in the use of tracing tools for blockchain and related technology tools.
Finally, the bill requires the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to report on efforts to combat general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and scams, including an evaluation of any legislative recommendations to improve the efforts. The bill also requires FinCEN to report on the state of general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and scams in the United States, including trends in the crimes.
Text of the bill
Where this section came from
-
Apr 21, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Financial Services, Apr 21 Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary, Apr 21
-
Sep 15, 2026 · Engrossed in House Marked up by House Committee on Financial Services, May 13 Reported by House Committee on Financial Services, Jun 24 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — Passed, 414–7 · Roll Call 301
In this Act:
(1) Elder financial fraud. The term elder financial fraud means the illegal or improper use of
an
the
elderly
money, property,
or
adult
other
with
resources
a
of
disability’s
an
money,
elderly
property,
individual
or
other
adult
resources
with a disability
for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain. (2) Eligible Federal grant funds. The term eligible Federal grant funds means funds received under
any of
the following: (A)
The
Title
Department
IV
of
Justice
the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 30103 et seq.) (commonly known as the
Economic, High-Technology, White Collar, and Internet Crime Prevention National Training and Technical Assistance Program
.
), including relating to the use of technology to solve crimes and to facilitate prosecutions
(
B)
commonly
The
known
Department
as the Internet
of
Justice
Things
Information
(IoT)
Sharing
National
Training and Technical Assistance Program
.
).
(
C
B
)
The
Title
Department
28, Code
of
Justice
Federal
Internet
Regulations,
of
part
Things
23
National
(commonly known as Justice Information Sharing
Training and Technical Assistance Program
.
).
(
D
C
) Section 1401 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (34 U.S.C. 30107
;
)
relating
to
Local
a
Law
local
Enforcement
law
Grants
enforcement agency
for
Enforcement
enforcement
of
Cybercrimes
cybercrimes
Against
against
Individuals).
individuals.
(
E
D
)
The
Section
Department
1701 title I
of
Justice
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381), relating to developing and acquiring effective equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime (commonly known as the
COPS Technology and Equipment Program
.
).
(3) General financial fraud. The term general financial fraud means
,
the
in order to obtain money or other things of value— (A)
intentional misrepresentation of information or identity to deceive
others,
an
the
individual; (B)
unlawful use of a credit card, debit card, or automated teller machine
;
or
the
(C)
use of electronic means to transmit deceptive information
, in order to obtain money or other things of value
.
… 5 unchanged passages …
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
In this Act:
(1) Elder financial fraud. The term elder financial fraud means the illegal or improper use of the money, property, or other resources of an elderly individual or adult with a disability for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain.
(2) Eligible Federal grant funds. The term eligible Federal grant funds means funds received under any of the following:
(A) Title IV of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 30103 et seq.) (commonly known as the Economic, High-Technology, White Collar, and Internet Crime Prevention National Training and Technical Assistance Program), including relating to the use of technology to solve crimes and to facilitate prosecutions (commonly known as the Internet of Things (IoT) National Training and Technical Assistance Program).
(B) Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, part 23 (commonly known as Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance Program).
(C) Section 1401 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (34 U.S.C. 30107) to a local law enforcement agency for enforcement of cybercrimes against individuals.
(D) Section 1701 title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381), relating to developing and acquiring effective equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime (commonly known as the COPS Technology and Equipment Program).
(3) General financial fraud. The term general financial fraud means, in order to obtain money or other things of value—
(A) intentional misrepresentation of information or identity to deceive an individual;
(B) unlawful use of a credit card, debit card, or automated teller machine; or
(C) use of electronic means to transmit deceptive information.
(4) Pig butchering. The term pig butchering means a confidence and investment fraud in which the victim is gradually lured into making increasing monetary contributions, generally in the form of cryptocurrency, to a seemingly sound investment before the scammer disappears with the contributed monies.
(5) Scam. The term scam means a financial crime undertaken through the use of social engineering that uses deceptive inducement to acquire—
(A) authorized access to funds; or
(B) personal or sensitive information that can facilitate the theft of financial assets.
(6) State. The term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.