ZOMBIE Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8467

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Passed House

Latest Action

2026-06-11: Received in the Senate.

Last Updated

2026-06-15T18:06:50Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation This Act, titled the "Zeroing Out Monetary Benefits Improperly Expended Act" or "ZOMBIE Act," reforms the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019. Its primary goal is to direct executive agencies to prioritize fraud prevention by narrowing the focus of improper payment oversight to those that cause actual financial loss to the Federal Government.

Key Provisions Outlined

• Definitions (Section 3351 amendments): Introduces a new definition of "financial loss to the Government" as payments exceeding the correct amount authorized by law, excluding administrative procedure errors that do not result in monetary loss. It also updates requirements for reporting improper payments in budget justifications.
• Estimates and Risk Assessments (Section 3352 amendments): Requires annual lists of programs and activities from the Program Inventory; mandates risk assessments using Treasury-developed guidance that distinguishes between errors causing financial loss and those that do not; shifts certain reviews and reports to a three-year cycle; adds requirements for prioritized risk listings, use of the Do Not Pay Initiative, and coordination meetings with OMB, Treasury, Inspectors General, and state officials.
• High-Priority Programs and Reports (Section 3352(b) amendments): Focuses high-priority designations and recovery reports on improper payments resulting in financial loss; requires estimates of loss amounts, fraud portions, and proposed resources or legislative changes; mandates annual liaison meetings and federal-state coordination sessions.
• Corrective Actions and Controls (Section 3352(d) amendments): Expands descriptions of actions to prevent and reduce such payments, including access to records and data; adds progress reporting on fraud risk management frameworks, such as GAO guidance and OMB Circular A-123.
• Inspector General Compliance Reports (Section 3353 amendments): Directs OMB and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to revise guidance for estimating and reporting improper payments that result in financial loss; adjusts references to align with new definitions and lowers certain thresholds (from 25 to 10 and 75).

Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced

• Shifts emphasis from all improper payments (including those without financial loss) to only those resulting in monetary loss to the Government.
• Replaces periodic reviews with annual inventory-based lists and introduces mandatory risk assessment guidance from the Treasury Secretary.
• Changes reporting frequencies in multiple subsections from annual to no less frequently than every three years.
• Adds new coordination requirements, including state-federal meetings and expanded congressional reporting recipients.
• Incorporates specific fraud prevention elements, such as pre-award checks and dedicated fraud risk management entities.
• Updates thresholds for certain compliance triggers and requires inclusion of estimates in agency budget justifications.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Executive agencies face revised risk assessment processes, updated reporting obligations, and mandatory coordination with oversight bodies, potentially increasing administrative workload but strengthening internal controls.
• On Citizens: May lead to improved integrity in federal payments and programs by reducing fraud-related losses, with indirect benefits to beneficiaries through better resource allocation.
• On International Relations: No provisions address international matters.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Executive agencies and their heads.
• Inspectors General of executive agencies.
• Office of Management and Budget and Department of the Treasury (including Bureau of the Fiscal Service).
• Congressional committees (Budget and Appropriations in both chambers).
• State and local governments administering federal programs.
• Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (or successor).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The Act operates within existing federal financial management statutes under title 31 and does not alter constitutional authorities or create new legal challenges. It emphasizes statutory compliance with risk-based oversight and fraud mitigation, reinforcing congressional oversight of executive spending without introducing novel political structures.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6]

Recent Actions

• 2026-06-11: Received in the Senate.
• 2026-06-10: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
• 2026-06-10: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• 2026-06-10: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• 2026-06-10: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4079)
• 2026-06-08: At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Gill (TX) objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
• 2026-06-08: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8467.
• 2026-06-08: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3925-3928; text: CR H3925-3928)
• 2026-06-08: Mr. Gill (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• 2026-04-29: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.
• 2026-04-29: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
• 2026-04-23: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• 2026-04-23: Introduced in House
• 2026-04-23: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Zeroing Out Monetary Benefits Improperly Expended Act — issued 2026-06-10 — PDF (28 pages)
• Zeroing Out Monetary Benefits Improperly Expended Act — issued 2026-04-23 — PDF (22 pages)