LOOTER Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 3600

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Crime and Law Enforcement

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-05-23: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2025-09-19T17:16:14Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose This legislation aims to establish federal criminal penalties for theft offenses committed during periods of declared natural disasters or emergencies, supplementing existing state laws to deter looting in affected areas.

Key Provisions

• The bill creates two new federal offenses under title 18 of the United States Code for larceny (theft) during emergencies.
• Petit larceny: During any period when a county in a state is under an emergency declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, committing petit larceny (as defined by the state's own laws) is punishable by a fine, up to 1 year in prison, or both.
• Grand larceny: Under the same emergency conditions, committing grand larceny (as defined by the state's laws) is punishable by a fine, up to 5 years in prison, or both.
• The Act is titled the "Law On Offender Transgressions during Emergencies and Recovery Act of 2025" or "LOOTER Act of 2025."

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces new federal crimes specifically tied to the timing of Stafford Act emergency declarations, which previously did not exist in federal statute for these state-defined theft offenses.
• Applies federal penalties on top of any state punishments, without altering the underlying state definitions of petit or grand larceny.

Potential Impacts

• Increases federal involvement in prosecuting theft during disasters, potentially leading to more cases handled by federal courts and agencies.
• May affect citizens in disaster zones by raising the risk of federal charges for theft, in addition to state penalties.
• No direct effects on international relations are outlined.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies responsible for investigating and charging these new offenses.
• Individuals residing in or present in states with declared emergencies.
• State and local governments, whose laws on larceny are referenced but whose jurisdiction may overlap with federal authority.
• Disaster relief and recovery organizations operating in affected areas.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Expands federal criminal jurisdiction into areas traditionally handled by states, raising potential questions about the balance of federal and state powers during emergencies.
• Ties federal penalties directly to presidential or gubernatorial emergency declarations under existing disaster law, which could affect enforcement timing and scope.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]

Cosponsors (4)

Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4], Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Recent Actions

• 2025-05-23: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2025-05-23: Introduced in House
• 2025-05-23: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Law On Offender Transgressions during Emergencies and Recovery Act of 2025 — issued 2025-05-23 — PDF (2 pages)