House passes PROOF Act, requiring states to hand fraud data to DOJ, 217–207
The House of Representatives on September 16, 2026 passed the PROOF Act, a bill requiring states to turn over data to the U.S. Department of Justice for fraud investigations, by a vote of 217 to 207. Nine members did not vote.
The bill — formally the Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds Act (H.R. 10326) — was sponsored by Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, a Republican from New Jersey.
Under the measure, when the Attorney General makes a written request tied to a fraud investigation, states administering certain federally funded programs must provide the information the Justice Department requires. The programs covered include Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), coronavirus-relief funds, and any other program the Attorney General identifies as vulnerable to fraud. The bill says a federal agency may use the data only for fraud-related law enforcement and may not disclose it for any unrelated administrative or commercial purpose, and it requires the Justice Department to report to Congress each year on the requests it makes and the investigations and convictions that result.
Van Drew, opening debate in support, said federal law enforcement has lacked the tools to stop criminals from stealing money meant for vulnerable Americans, and that the bill contains “ironclad, statutory legal guide rails,” mandates compliance with the Privacy Act and health-privacy law, limits the data to fraud investigations, and requires the government to purge records once an investigation ends.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland led the opposition, calling the measure “a dangerous bill” and “a huge privacy data power grab.” He said it would allow the Justice Department to gather Americans’ private data into a government database without probable cause or suspicion of a crime.
The House considered the bill under a closed rule that allowed one hour of debate, alongside a related fraud-enforcement measure. Having passed the House, the bill would next go to the Senate.
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