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Congress·Reported·25 days ago

Senate Committee Advances GUARD Act to Help Local Police Fight Pig Butchering, Senior Scams

Also known as: GUARD Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill allows local, state, and tribal police to use federal grant money they already receive to investigate financial crimes like 'pig butchering' and scams targeting seniors. This means police can use existing funds to hire experts or buy software specifically for these cases.
  • It specifically targets 'pig butchering,' a common scam where criminals build trust with victims over time to trick them into making fake cryptocurrency investments. Once the victim puts in a large amount of money, the scammer disappears with the funds.
  • Federal agencies would be authorized to share high-tech tools with local police to help them track money moving through blockchain and other new technologies. This helps smaller departments follow the digital trail of stolen money that often goes across state or national borders.
  • The Treasury Department would be required to create a massive report on the state of scams in America. This report would track how much money people lose, how many scams are run by organized crime groups overseas, and how effective the government has been at getting money back for victims.
  • Police departments that use these funds must report their progress every year. They will need to show how many cases they handled and if the new tools actually helped them catch more scammers or protect more people in their communities.
Criminal JusticeTechnology DigitalEconomy Finance

Milestones

4 milestones5 actions
Feb 9, 2026Senate

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 317.

Feb 9, 2026Senate

Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.

Feb 5, 2026Senate

Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Jul 30, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Jul 30, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Local, state, and tribal police can begin redirecting existing federal grant funds toward financial fraud and pig butchering investigations

Police departments won't need to wait for new money — they can immediately start using grants they already have to hire fraud analysts, buy blockchain investigation software, and train officers on crypto scams and elder fraud.

Treasury Department and FinCEN must deliver a comprehensive report to Congress on the state of scams in America

Within two years of the law taking effect, the government would publish detailed data on how many Americans are being scammed, how much money is lost, and what share of fraud is run by overseas organized crime — information that could shape future legislation.

Related News

3 articles
Yellowhammer News·13 days ago

Britt-led GUARD Act advances in Senate to combat senior-targeted fraud

The bipartisan GUARD Act advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2026. The bill expands how local law enforcement can use existing federal grants to investigate financial fraud involving digital assets and authorizes federal assistance for blockchain tracing tools.

R+
CoinGeek·10 months ago

US lawmakers eye leveraging blockchain against finance scams

The GUARD Act represents a legislative effort to empower state and local law enforcement with blockchain technology to combat 'pig butchering' scams. The bill would allow agencies to use federal grants to access tracing tools that are currently mostly limited to federal agencies.

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Tech Policy Press·28 days ago

US Congress Targets 'Pig-Butchering' Scams as Cybercrime Outpaces Policy

Lawmakers are advancing a slate of anti-cyberscam bills, including the GUARD Act, to curb transnational syndicates. The legislation promotes cooperation between federal and local law enforcement to freeze assets and prosecute those running sophisticated investment fraud operations.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

GUARD Act

Bill NumberS 2544
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 317.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(9)
D: 4R: 5

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.