Inmate Financial Accountability Task Force Act
Bill: S.4405 | Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John (R-LA)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Inmate Financial Accountability Task Force Act
This bill establishes a joint task force to (1) develop a strategic plan to improve the criminal and civil debt collection process and establish an effective coordination mechanism among each entity involved in the process, and (2) develop a strategic plan to improve oversight of Bureau of Prisons inmate trust fund accounts for detecting and deterring illicit financial activity and money laundering.

To establish a joint task force to improve the collection of 
restitution and improve oversight of the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust 
Fund Accounts for the purpose of deterring illicit financial activity, 
               money laundering, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Inmate Financial Accountability Task 
Force Act''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General (in consultation with the 
Director of the Bureau of Prisons and the Director of the Executive 
Office for United States Attorneys), the Director of the Administrative 
Office of the United States Courts, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (in consultation with the Commissioner of the Office of Child 
Support Enforcement), the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director 
of the United States Marshals Service shall establish a joint task 
force (referred to in this Act as the ``Inmate Financial Accountability 
Task Force'') to develop--
            (1) a strategic plan to improve the criminal and civil debt 
        collection process and establish an effective coordination 
        mechanism among each entity involved in that process; and
            (2) a strategic plan to improve oversight of Bureau of 
        Prisons Inmate Trust Fund Accounts for detecting and deterring 
        illicit financial activity and money laundering.
    (b) Required Review of Procedures.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Inmate Financial Accountability 
Task Force shall--
            (1) review the long-standing problems in the collection of 
        outstanding criminal and civil debt, including fragmented 
        processes and lack of coordination;
            (2) review and enhance training and examination procedures 
        to improve the capabilities of criminal and civil debt 
        reporting and collection by Federal agencies;
            (3) recommend the proper accounting, reporting, collecting, 
        and management of criminal and civil debt eligible for referral 
        to the Secretary of the Treasury for collection actions;
            (4) review and enhance training and examination procedures 
        to improve the capabilities of anti-money laundering processes 
        to detect financial transactions relating to Bureau of Prisons 
        Inmate Trust Fund Accounts;
            (5) review and enhance procedures for referring potential 
        cases relating to money laundering and illicit financial 
        activity to the appropriate law enforcement agency; and
            (6) determine, as appropriate, whether requirements for the 
        Bureau of Prisons are sufficient to detect and deter money 
        laundering relating to Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund 
        Accounts.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Criminal and civil debt collection report.--Not later 
        than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Inmate 
        Financial Accountability Task Force shall submit to the 
        Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the 
        Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Financial Services and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
        House of Representatives, a report containing--
                    (A) an analysis of criminal and civil debt 
                collection efforts of the Federal Government;
                    (B) appropriate legislative, administrative, and 
                other recommendations to strengthen criminal and civil 
                debt collection processes; and
                    (C) recommendations, including--
                            (i) feedback from stakeholders, including 
                        financial institutions and advocacy groups for 
                        victims of crime, on policy proposals derived 
                        from the analysis conducted by the Inmate 
                        Financial Accountability Task Force that would 
                        enhance the efforts and programs of Federal and 
                        State agencies to improve criminal and civil 
                        debt reporting and collection, including any 
                        recommended changes to internal policies, 
                        procedures, and controls;
                            (ii) any recommended changes to expand 
                        information sharing relating to criminal and 
                        civil debt reporting and collection between 
                        financial institutions, appropriate law 
                        enforcement agencies, appropriate State 
                        agencies, and appropriate Federal agencies;
                            (iii) any recommended changes to enhance 
                        the efforts and programs of Federal and State 
                        agencies to improve criminal and civil debt 
                        reporting and collection and expand information 
                        sharing of the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust 
                        Fund Accounts with appropriate law enforcement 
                        agencies; and
                            (iv) any recommended changes, if necessary, 
                        to existing statutes to more effectively report 
                        and collect criminal and civil debt.
            (2) Anti-money laundering report.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Inmate Financial 
        Accountability Task Force shall submit to the Committee on 
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on the 
        Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Financial Services 
        and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives, a report containing--
                    (A) an analysis of anti-money laundering efforts of 
                the Federal Government and Federal financial 
                institutions relating to Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust 
                Fund Accounts;
                    (B) appropriate legislative, administrative, and 
                other recommendations to improve anti-money laundering 
                efforts relating to Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund 
                Accounts; and
                    (C) recommendations, including--
                            (i) feedback from Federal agencies on best 
                        practices under successful programs related to 
                        anti-money laundering efforts in place that may 
                        be suitable for broader adoption by the 
                        Director of the Bureau of Prisons;
                            (ii) feedback from stakeholders, including 
                        law enforcement agencies and financial 
                        institutions, on policy proposals derived from 
                        the analysis conducted by the Inmate Financial 
                        Accountability Task Force that would enhance 
                        anti-money laundering efforts and oversight of 
                        Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund Accounts, 
                        including any recommended changes to internal 
                        policies, procedures, and controls to improve 
                        anti-money laundering efforts;
                            (iii) any recommended changes to training 
                        programs at the Bureau of Prisons to better 
                        equip employees to deter and detect money 
                        laundering relating to Bureau of Prisons Inmate 
                        Trust Fund Accounts; and
                            (iv) recommended changes, if necessary, to 
                        existing statutes to more effectively detect 
                        and deter money laundering relating to Bureau 
                        of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund Accounts.
    (d) Limitation.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to grant 
rulemaking authority to the Inmate Financial Accountability Task Force.
    (e) Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund Accounts.--In this Act, the 
term ``Bureau of Prisons Inmate Trust Fund Accounts'' refers to--
            (1) funds of Federal prisoners held in trust by the Bureau 
        of Prisons; and
            (2) commissary funds of Federal prisoners.
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