What Happened?

A new bill requiring states to hand over records to the Department of Justice upon request was passed by the House last week. [](#ngr-2d682dd2-fd96-48b3-be89-879a1fa640dd)

The Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds Act passed on Sept. 10, clearing the way for new rules on how states share information with federal fraud investigators for several major federal programs.

Those programs include Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), certain federal coronavirus-response payments and grants, and other state programs identified as vulnerable to fraud. The bill limits how the Justice Department can use that information, restricting it to fraud-related law enforcement and barring agencies from sharing it for unrelated administrative or commercial purposes.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Fraud in programs like Medicaid and SNAP costs taxpayers money and can drain resources meant for people who qualify for benefits. If this bill becomes law, federal investigators would have a clearer path to getting state records they need to build cases against people accused of cheating those programs.

The bill would also require the Justice Department to report to Congress each year on which programs were involved, how many investigations were launched, and how many convictions resulted, giving the public a regular look at how the effort is working.

Both Sides, Now

Republicans cast 210 yes votes and one no vote on the final-passage roll call, with the recorded majority position for Democrats listed as no. Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), the bill's sponsor, introduced it without listed cosponsors.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) was the lone Republican recorded voting no. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3) voted yes. The source material does not include on-record statements from either party explaining their positions, so the reasons behind individual votes are not known from this record.

What Happens Next?

The bill now moves to the Senate, where it would need to pass before going to the president for a signature. No Senate vote is scheduled, and the bill has not been matched to a companion Senate measure in the available records.

Congress is also weighing related anti-fraud bills. The STOP FRAUD in Medicaid Act would expand state Medicaid fraud units to pursue cases involving beneficiaries, not just providers. The SNAP Fraud Accountability Act would lower the dollar threshold that triggers criminal penalties for benefit fraud from $5,000 to $1,000. The PIIA Reform Act would create a federal Overpayment Czar and require agencies to flag programs prone to improper payments.

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This article was generated by AI pulling from data. Each article is edited by an editor for accuracy and clarity.

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