Improving Federal Investigations of Organized Retail Crime Act of 2022

Improving Federal Investigations of Organized Retail Crime Act of 2022

This bill requires various federal agencies to develop a strategy to improve coordination with state and local law enforcement entities to address organized retail crime.

Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and other relevant agencies to

• improve federal information sharing about organized retail crime networks,
• assist state and local law enforcement in compiling materials and evidence needed to prosecute organized retail crime, and
• increase cooperation and information sharing with the retail industry and retail crime task forces.

The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on private sector and law enforcement collaboration to deter and investigate organized retail crime.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7499 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7499

 To direct certain heads of Federal agencies to develop a strategy to 
improve Federal investigations of retail crime, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2022

 Mrs. Kim of California (for herself, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. 
  Panetta, and Ms. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct certain heads of Federal agencies to develop a strategy to 
improve Federal investigations of retail crime, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Federal Investigations of 
Organized Retail Crime Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING COORDINATION IN FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS OF RETAIL 
              CRIME.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, the Postmaster General, and the heads of relevant Federal 
agencies shall collaborate to develop a strategy to identify how each 
agency can coordinate to--
            (1) improve information sharing on organized retail crime 
        networks between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. 
        Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security 
        Investigations, the Secret Service, the United States Postal 
        Service, and other relevant Federal agencies;
            (2) assist State and local law enforcement in compiling 
        materials and evidence needed for prosecution of organized 
        retail crime; and
            (3) increase cooperation and the sharing of information 
        with the retail industry, State retail crime task forces, and 
        other retail crime task forces.
    (b) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, Postmaster General, and the head of any other 
relevant agency shall coordinate to submit a report to the relevant 
committees on the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a).
    (c) GAO Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall publish a report 
on private sector and law enforcement collaboration to deter and 
investigate organized retail crimes.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Organized retail crime.--The term ``organized retail 
        crime'' means the coordinated unlawful acquisition of retail 
        goods through theft, embezzlement, fraud, or other unlawful 
        means for the purpose of selling or distributing such 
        unlawfully obtained items in the stream of commerce.
            (2) Organized retail crime network.--The term ``organized 
        retail crime network'' means a criminal network engaged in 
        organized retail crime.
            (3) Relevant federal agency.--The term ``relevant Federal 
        agency'' means any Federal agency determined by the Attorney 
        General and Secretary of Homeland Security to have a role in 
        information sharing and investigations with respect to 
        organized crime.
            (4) Relevant committee.--The term ``relevant committee'' 
        means the House Committee on the Judiciary, the House Committee 
        on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Oversight and 
        Reform, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and the Senate 
        Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
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