Fight Fraud Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1748
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14]
Introduced: 2009-03-26 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Civil actions and liability
Computer security and identity theft
Crimes against children
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of the Treasury
Executive agency funding and structure
Financial crises and stabilization
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Housing finance and home ownership
Law enforcement administration and funding
Pornography
Postal service
Securities
Sex offenses
Terrorism
White-collar crime

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: 
Fight Fraud Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to include within the definition of &quot;financial institution&quot; a mortgage lending business or any person or entity that makes, in whole or in part, a federally related mortgage loan. Defines &quot;mortgage lending business&quot; as an organization that finances or refinances any debt secured by an interest in real estate, including private mortgage companies and their subsidiaries, and whose activities affect interstate or foreign commerce.
 
Extends the prohibition against making false statements in a mortgage application to employees and agents of a mortgage lending business. 
 
Applies the prohibition against defrauding the federal government to fraudulent activities involving the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) or a federal economic stimulus, recovery, or rescue plan. 
 
Expands securities fraud provisions to cover fraud involving options and futures in commodities. 
 
Authorizes appropriations to the Attorney General for FY2010-FY2011 for investigations, prosecutions, and civil proceedings involving federal assistance programs and financial institutions. 
 
Authorizes additional appropriations to the U.S. Postal Service, the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Secret Service for FY2010-FY2011 for similar investigations.

action_date: 2009-05-04
text: 
Fight Fraud Act of 2009 - (Sec. 2) Amends the federal criminal code to include within the definition of &quot;financial institution&quot; a mortgage lending business or any person or entity that makes, in whole or in part, a federally related mortgage loan. Defines &quot;mortgage lending business&quot; as an organization that finances or refinances any debt secured by an interest in real estate, including private mortgage companies and their subsidiaries, and whose activities affect interstate or foreign commerce.
 
Extends the prohibition against making false statements in a mortgage application to employees and agents of a mortgage lending business.
 
Applies the prohibition against defrauding the federal government to fraudulent activities involving the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) or a federal economic stimulus, recovery, or rescue plan. 
 
Expands securities fraud provisions to cover fraud involving options and futures in commodities. 
 
(Sec. 3) Authorizes appropriations to the Attorney General for FY2010-FY2011 for investigations, prosecutions, and civil proceedings involving federal assistance programs and financial institutions. Allocates such funds among various departments of the Department of Justice (DOJ). 
 
Authorizes additional appropriations to the U.S. Postal Service, the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Secret Service for FY2010-FY2011 for similar investigations.
 
Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on amounts expended for fraud investigations and prosecutions and on amounts recovered from criminal or civil restitution, fines, penalties relating to such investigations and prosecutions.
 
(Sec. 4) Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to states and Indian tribes to establish and develop programs for enforcement against mortgage fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and financial institution fraud, including enforcement against the use of computers use to commit such fraud. Sets forth requirements for grant applications and the use of grant funds.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2011. 
 
(Sec. 5) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to award grants and enter into contracts with state and local criminal justice agencies and nonprofit organizations to improve the detection, investigation, and prosecution of covered criminal activities. Defines &quot;covered criminal activity&quot; as a criminal conspiracy or activity or a terrorist conspiracy or activity that spans jurisdictional boundaries, including: (1) terrorism; (2) economic crime, including financial fraud and mortgage fraud; and (3) high-tech crime, including Internet-based crime against children and child pornography.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2015.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 43.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Committee on Financial Services discharged.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Committee on Financial Services discharged.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-95, Part I.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-95, Part I.
action_date: 2009-04-28
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2009-04-28
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-04-01
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Referred to House Financial Services
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-26
text: Introduced in House