H.R. 2978 · Passed House · Crime and Law Enforcement

GUARD Act

What it does

Allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement to use funds from certain federal grant programs to investigate general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, and pig butchering schemes.
Authorizes federal law enforcement agencies to assist state, local, and tribal agencies and fusion centers with blockchain tracing tools and related technology.
Requires FinCEN to report on efforts to combat financial fraud, elder fraud, pig butchering, and scams, with legislative recommendations.
Requires FinCEN to report on the state of financial fraud, elder fraud, pig butchering, and scams in the United States, including crime trends.

Official summary

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

Latest action

Sep 16, 2026: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 627.

Committee: House Financial Services