National Scam Prevention Coordination Act

Bill Number

H.R. 6681

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Commerce

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Last Updated

2026-01-20T14:50:12Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The National Scam Prevention Coordination Act (H.R. 6681) aims to create a centralized office to coordinate national efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud and scams. It focuses on improving information sharing, policy development, public education, and international cooperation to protect against deceptive schemes that cause financial harm.

Key Provisions

• Establishment of the Office: Creates the Office of the National Fraud and Scam Prevention within the Executive Office of the President. The office is led by a Director appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, serving at the President's pleasure and compensated at Executive Schedule Level II pay.

• Duties of the Director:
• Acts as the President's main advisor on fraud and scam prevention, covering areas like data protection, policy coordination, public education, emerging technologies, and international norms.
• Establishes a "fraud data shield program" for entities (e.g., businesses) to share non-personally identifiable scam data with the office.
• Coordinates federal implementation of prevention strategies, including monitoring agency effectiveness, reviewing budgets, assessing integration across agencies, and reporting annually to the President and Congress.
• Leads development and execution of integrated response plans for major fraud incidents (those causing over $5 million in losses, affecting more than 1,000 people, or threatening economic/cybersecurity interests).
• Prepares federal responses to significant scams, facilitates coordination with private sector entities, and provides technical assistance to existing interagency task forces.
• Consults with private sector leaders and reports annually to Congress on threats, including impacts from new technologies.

• Powers of the Director:
• Hire up to 20 staff without standard civil service limits (at Executive Schedule Level IV pay or below), employ experts/consultants, accept details from other federal agencies or intelligence community (up to 3 years, non-reimbursable), and enter contracts or agreements.
• Promulgate rules, use other agency resources with consent, accept voluntary services, adopt an official seal, and provide document copies at cost.
• Delegate duties and represent the U.S. at relevant summits (in coordination with the Secretary of State).

• Immunity and Definitions:
• Provides legal protection (immunity from civil lawsuits) for good-faith sharing of non-personally identifiable information with the office.
• Defines key terms, such as "fraud" (intentional deception for monetary gain), "scam" (tricking victims into giving money or info), "fraud and scam prevention posture" (abilities to identify, protect against, detect, prevent, respond to, and recover from scams), and lists relevant federal agencies (e.g., Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, Treasury; FCC; FTC).

• Sunset Clause: The office and its authorities end 5 years after enactment.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces a new executive office dedicated specifically to fraud and scam prevention, which does not currently exist in this form. It builds on existing agency roles (e.g., FBI, FTC) by mandating coordination and data sharing but does not alter core laws like those governing individual agencies. It adds novel elements like the data shield program and immunity for info sharing, potentially expanding federal oversight of private sector data without creating new enforcement powers.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Enhances coordination among listed federal departments (e.g., Justice, Treasury) by requiring joint planning, budget reviews, and incident responses, which could improve efficiency but increase administrative burdens. Agencies must integrate with the office's strategies, potentially leading to resource reallocation.

• On Citizens: Improves public protection through better detection, response to large-scale scams, and education campaigns to help individuals avoid fraud. Could reduce financial losses from scams (e.g., by addressing threats affecting over 1,000 people), though benefits depend on implementation.

• On International Relations: Promotes diplomatic efforts for global norms on scam prevention and participation in international meetings, potentially strengthening U.S. ties with allies on economic security issues but requiring coordination with the State Department.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Government: President, Congress (receives annual reports), and agencies like the Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, and Treasury; FCC; FTC; plus White House councils (Domestic Policy and Homeland Security).
• Private Sector: Businesses and entities sharing scam data, benefiting from consultations and incident response coordination.
• Citizens and Victims: Individuals targeted by fraud/scams, gaining from prevention efforts and education.
• International Partners: Foreign governments and organizations involved in global anti-fraud norms.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Grants the office broad coordination powers without direct enforcement authority, relying on existing laws; the immunity clause shields data sharers from lawsuits, potentially encouraging participation but raising privacy concerns (though limited to non-personal data). Definitions clarify scope but could lead to disputes over what qualifies as "significant consequence."

• Constitutional: Aligns with executive branch authority under Article II for policy coordination; Senate confirmation for the Director ensures checks and balances. No apparent conflicts with privacy rights (e.g., Fourth Amendment), as it avoids personal data collection.

• Political: Temporary 5-year sunset allows testing without permanent expansion, but annual reporting to Congress could spark oversight debates. Politically neutral focus on economic protection may garner bipartisan support, though budget implications (e.g., new staffing) could face fiscal scrutiny.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-12-11: Introduced in House
• 2025-12-11: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• National Scam Prevention Coordination Act — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (15 pages)