GUARD Act of 2026

What this does

This bill lets state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies use certain existing federal grant funds to investigate elder financial fraud, pig butchering scams, and other financial fraud, including hiring investigators, training officers, buying software, and appointing a liaison with financial institutions. Agencies that use the funds this way must report back to the federal agency that gave them the grant within a year. The bill also directs the Treasury Department and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, working with the Justice Department, Homeland Security, and banking regulators, to report to Congress within a year on fraud and scams, and to report again within two years with detailed estimates of how many Americans are scammed, how much money they lose, how much of it is tied to overseas actors and organized crime, and how much federal agencies spend fighting it. It clarifies that federal law enforcement agencies may help state, local, and tribal agencies and fusion centers use blockchain tracing tools. The House passed it on September 15, 2026, 414 to 7.