HR4724-119

What This Bill Does

The Corporate Crime Database Act adds a new corporate-crime database duty to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It defines corporate offenses as federal-law violations or alleged violations committed by a business entity, or by an employee acting within the employee's occupational role, plus other violations the BJS Director determines to be corporate offenses. Enforcement actions include concluded administrative, civil, or criminal actions as well as declinations, settlements, deferred prosecution agreements, and non-prosecution agreements. Within one year, the Director must collect, aggregate, analyze, and publish a public internet database of federal enforcement actions involving corporate offenses. The database must list each business entity or individual identified, relevant employers and parent companies, offense type, violated statutes or regulations, each federal agency bringing the action, outcomes and relevant documentation, unique identifiers, and any additional information the Director determines necessary. Within 180 days, BJS must issue guidance telling federal agencies which information to submit and how often. The database must include available historical and future enforcement actions and must be searchable, downloadable, and publicly accessible. BJS must update it each time new information is collected and submit annual reports to Congress analyzing recidivism, offenses, enforcement actions, estimated victim and public impact, and recommendations developed with the Attorney General. The bill also directs federal information policy work to improve collection, digitization, tabulation, sharing, publishing, and standardization of corporate-offense data.

Who Benefits and How

Consumers and victims of corporate offenses benefit from easier access to federal enforcement histories and outcomes. Corporate accountability researchers benefit from downloadable data linking companies, parent companies, statutes, agencies, and outcomes. Federal enforcement agencies benefit from standardized reporting guidance for corporate-offense actions. Congressional oversight committees benefit from annual BJS reports on recidivism, public impact, and deterrence recommendations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Bureau of Justice Statistics Director must build, update, analyze, and publish the corporate-crime database. Federal agencies bringing enforcement actions must submit information under BJS guidance. Business entities and parent companies named in enforcement actions face increased public visibility. Attorney General must consult on recommendations for improving monitoring, response, and deterrence.

Key Provisions

• Creates a Bureau of Justice Statistics corporate-crime database within one year.
• Requires data on business entities, employees, parent companies, offenses, statutes, agencies, outcomes, and identifiers.
• Requires BJS guidance within 180 days for federal agency information submissions.
• Requires the database to be searchable, downloadable, publicly accessible, and updated when information is collected.
• Requires annual reports on recidivism, victim impact, public impact, and enforcement recommendations.