HR-2978 — GUARD Act | YourVoice.Now

YourVoice.Now Summary

Transparency & Accountability

Lets local police tap existing federal grants to investigate elder fraud and 'pig butchering' crypto scams.

Transparency & Accountability

Reporting requirements — Grant recipients must report how funds were used and the effect on local fraud
Reporting requirements — Treasury and FinCEN must deliver a national study on scams, with public comment

The details

Older Americans and others lose billions each year to financial scams, including 'pig butchering' — a con where victims are slowly lured into fake investments, often in cryptocurrency. This bill would let state, local, and Tribal police use money from existing federal grants to fight these crimes. Departments could hire analysts, buy investigation software, train officers in blockchain tracing, and add a liaison to work with banks. Federal agencies could help trace cryptocurrency across the blockchain. Agencies would report to Congress on how the funds were used and, within two years, deliver a national study on the scale of scams — with public input.

Congressional Summary

Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act of 2026 or the GUARD Act of 2026This 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.

Legislative Subjects

Advanced technology and technological innovationsCongressional oversightCrime victimsCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationEmployee hiringEmployment and training programsFraud offenses and financial crimesGovernment information and archivesIntergovernmental relationsLaw enforcement administration and funding

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Reported to House
Action Date: 2026-06-24
Date Added: 2026-07-22
Source: Congress.gov →

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