H.R. 2978 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Sep 15, 2026. Received Sep 16, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryProtects seniors from financial fraud schemes
This bill gives state and local police money and tools to investigate financial scams that target older adults, including a scam called 'pig butchering' where victims are tricked into sending money, often cryptocurrency, to fake investment accounts. It also lets federal law enforcement help track digital money movements across blockchain technology. The bill requires a financial watchdog agency to study these scams and report back on what's working to stop them.
How it affects you
Seniors and older adults could benefit from increased police efforts to catch scammers targeting them. State and local law enforcement agencies that receive certain federal grants will have permission to use those funds on these investigations. For most other people, this mainly affects which crimes police departments can prioritize funding toward.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Jun 24, 2026)
Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act of 2026 or the GUARD Act of 2026
This bill allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and grantees that receive funds from certain law enforcement grant programs to use the funds to investigate general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, and pig butchering. Pig butchering refers to a confidence and investment fraud in which a victim is gradually lured into transferring increasing amounts of money, generally in the form of cryptocurrency, into a fake virtual investment.
The bill allows federal law enforcement agencies to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and fusion centers in the use of tracing tools for blockchain and related technology tools.
Finally, the bill requires the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to report on efforts to combat general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and scams, including an evaluation of any legislative recommendations to improve the efforts. The bill also requires FinCEN to report on the state of general financial fraud, elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and scams in the United States, including trends in the crimes.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2978
AN ACT
GUARD Act
Sponsor: Rep. Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3) · Introduced Apr 21, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 16, 2026: “Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 627.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Sep 15, 2026
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended Passed 414–7
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 210 | 0 | 4 |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 203 | 7 | 8 |
7 members voted against most of their party: 7 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
Opens on the most recent version where something changedSections · 6
- Sec. 1Short titleChanged
- Sec. 2DefinitionsChanged
- Sec. 3Federal grants used for investigating elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and general financial fraudChanged
- Sec. 4Report on general financial fraud, pig butchering, and elder financial fraudChanged
- Sec. 5Report on the state of scams in the United StatesChanged
- Sec. 6Report to CongressChanged