HR6426-119

What This Bill Does

The STOP Scams Against Seniors Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act Byrne grant program. It adds establishment, operation, and implementation of elder justice task forces as an allowable grant purpose when those task forces address financial exploitation, scams, and fraud primarily targeting people who are 60 or older. Task forces may include or coordinate with State and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, adult protective services professionals, and federal agencies including the FBI, FTC, DOJ, and Secret Service. Grant recipients using funds for this purpose must report the number of cases initiated, the number fully investigated and brought to conclusion, the number of fraud victims receiving support, legal assistance, or restitution, the type of scam and initial-contact method for each victim and case, and any indicator of organized or transnational criminal involvement. The Attorney General must submit an annual report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees summarizing the recipient information.

Who Benefits and How

Older adults targeted by scams benefit because Byrne funds can support specialized elder justice task forces focused on financial exploitation, fraud, and scams. State and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and adult protective services professionals benefit from a new grant-supported use for coordinated senior-scam investigations. Fraud victims may benefit from support, legal assistance, or restitution tracked by the reporting rules. Congress benefits from annual DOJ reporting on case outcomes, scam methods, victim support, and organized or transnational criminal indicators.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Byrne grant recipients must collect detailed task-force metrics and report them in addition to other grant reporting. The Attorney General and DOJ grant officials must compile the information and report annually to Judiciary Committees. State and local task forces must track scam type, contact method, victim assistance, and organized-crime indicators. Federal taxpayers fund grant-supported task-force work.

Key Provisions

• Amends Byrne grant purposes to include elder justice task forces for scams, fraud, and financial exploitation targeting people age 60 or older.
• Allows task forces to include or coordinate with law enforcement, prosecutors, adult protective services, FBI, FTC, DOJ, and Secret Service.
• Requires recipient reports on initiated cases, completed investigations, victim support, legal assistance, restitution, scam type, contact method, and organized-crime indicators.
• Requires the Attorney General to submit an annual summary report to House and Senate Judiciary Committees.