# 2025-00401: Arts Agency Inflation-Adjusts Fines Because Even Penalties Need COLAs

2025-00401, Civil Penalties Adjustment for 2025, is a Federal Register rule from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-13, effective 2025-01-13; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00401
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-00401
- Title: Civil Penalties Adjustment for 2025
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: unknown
- Citation: unknown
- Published: 2025-01-13
- Effective: 2025-01-13
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Arts Agency Inflation-Adjusts Fines Because Even Penalties Need COLAs

## Summary

Starting January 13, 2025, the National Endowment for the Arts is raising the maximum fines for breaking certain rules to keep up with inflation. This means anyone who violates the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act or lobbying restrictions could face higher penalties. These changes help keep penalties fair and effective by adjusting them every year based on rising costs.

## Abstract

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is adjusting the maximum civil monetary penalties (CMPs) that may be imposed for violations of the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (PFCRA) and the NEA's Restrictions on Lobbying to reflect the requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the 2015 Act). The 2015 Act further amended the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (the Inflation Adjustment Act) to improve the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. This final rule provides the 2025 annual inflation adjustments to the initial "catch-up" adjustments made on June 15, 2017, and reflects all other inflation adjustments made in the interim.

## Effects PRIA read

- PFCRA False-Claims Fine Rises: cost, low. If you violate the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act by making a false claim or statement, the maximum fine increases from $13,945 to $14,307. The rule is effective January 13, 2025 and applies to violations assessed after January 15, 2025.
- Lobbying Violation Fines Increase: cost, high. If you violate the NEA's Restrictions on Lobbying, the minimum fine rises from $24,483 to $25,119 and the maximum rises from $244,958 to $251,322. The rule is effective January 13, 2025 and applies to violations assessed after January 15, 2025.

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## Sources
- [2025-00401 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/13/2025-00401/civil-penalties-adjustment-for-2025)
- [2025-00401 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-13/pdf/2025-00401.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-00331, Guidance on Clean Electricity Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Amount Program](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00331)
- [Next: 2025-00419, Rules of Practice for Hearings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00419)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00401 (as of 2026-06-11).