Congress·In Committee·S. 3644

Senate Bill Would Impose Lifetime Ban on Child Care Providers Who Defraud Federal Programs

Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Moves to Impose Lifetime Bans for Child Care Program Fraud

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

This bill creates a lifetime ban for any child care provider found guilty of fraud involving federal funds. This includes lying about how many children are enrolled, who owns the business, or whether the facility has a valid state license. Once banned, a provider cannot get back into the program by changing their business name or merging with another company.
States would be held financially responsible for fraud within their borders. If a provider steals money, the state must pay it back to the federal government or have that amount cut from their next year’s budget for child care assistance.
Non-citizens who commit child care fraud would face severe immigration consequences. They could be deported, barred from entering the U.S., and blocked from seeking asylum or becoming citizens. The bill also specifically targets fraud that funnels money to terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab.
The government would be allowed to use 'expedited removal' to quickly deport non-citizens suspected of this type of fraud without a standard court hearing. These rules would apply to fraud committed as far back as 1996 if the person has not yet been arrested or charged.

Child CareImmigrationConsumer ProtectionCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Negative Impacts(6)

Immigrant

Hurts

Non-citizen child care providers face deportation, denial of asylum, and permanent immigration bars if found guilty of fraud, even for fraud dating back to 1996.

Undocumented

Hurts

Undocumented immigrants who work in child care face mandatory detention and expedited removal without standard hearings if suspected of fraud.

Visa Holder

Hurts

Visa holders convicted of child care fraud become inadmissible and face deportation, preventing them from adjusting status to permanent residency.

Green Card

Hurts

Green card holders convicted of child care fraud are deportable and cannot naturalize, as fraud conviction bars good moral character requirement.

Naturalized Citizen

Hurts

Naturalized citizens who committed fraud before citizenship may face investigation and prosecution under the bill's retroactive provisions.

Small Business Owner

Hurts

Small child care business owners face lifetime federal bans from the industry if convicted of fraud, with no possibility of reinstatement.

Mixed Impacts(1)

Student

Neutral

Students receiving child care assistance may benefit from reduced fraud, but could lose access if their provider is shut down or states cut programs.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 14, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Jan 14, 2026

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon passage of the bill

Lifetime bans and immigration penalties take effect

Child care providers convicted of fraud can be permanently banned and non-citizens face deportation, with rules applying to fraud since 1996.

After the Secretary identifies fraud cases

Federal criminal investigations begin for administrative fraud cases

The Attorney General must investigate and potentially prosecute child care providers who were debarred through administrative orders.

Related News

4 articles

1819 News·2 months ago

'One of the biggest scandals in American taxpayer history': Tuberville unveils Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act to address child care fraud

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville helped introduce the Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act to strengthen penalties for child care providers who commit fraud. The bill mandates permanent debarment from federal programs and imposes immigration consequences on non-U.S. citizens, including deportation.

Hoodline·about 2 months ago

Senators Blackburn and Cornyn Introduce 'Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act' to Combat Child Care Fraud and Enforce Immigration Consequences

The proposed legislation aims to bolster penalties for fraudulent child care providers and impose immigration consequences on non-U.S. citizens. The bill mandates permanent debarment, repayment of misappropriated funds, and mandatory referral for federal criminal investigations.

Washington Examiner·about 2 months ago

Cornyn Op-Ed: Congress Must Act to Crack Down on Child Care Fraud

Senator John Cornyn argues that the Minnesota scandal exposed a 'morally bankrupt fraud empire.' His bill would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act to impose strict penalties, including debarment and deportation for non-citizen offenders.

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