# 119-hr-7548: SCAM Act

119-hr-7548, SCAM Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7548
- As of: 2026-10-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7548
- Congress: 119
- Title: SCAM Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-12
- Sponsor: Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 57
- Policy area: Commerce
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-24

## Summary

**Holding platforms accountable for paid scam ads.** This bill would bar online platforms from displaying commercial ads they accepted payment for if they did not take reasonable steps to stop fraudulent or deceptive ads. - Consumers get faster remedies and a private way to seek relief. Platforms would have to investigate reports within 72 hours, notify reporters within 24 hours after the investigation ends, and remove proven frauds within 24 hours of a determination. Private lawsuits could seek injunctions, actual damages, restitution, and triple damages for willful violations. - Platforms and advertisers face new identity and verification rules. Advertisers would need verified legal names, locations, ID or entity documents, contact details, impersonation controls, and both automated and manual fraud detection; platforms can gain a compliance presumption by submitting an FTC‑approved fraud detection program. - Regulators and states get broad enforcement roles. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the law alongside existing authority and state attorneys general could sue on behalf of residents. Regulations must be issued within one year and private suits have a five‑year statute of limitations from discovery.

## Cosponsors (57)

- Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] (R-VA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] (R-TX), 2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8] (R-CO), 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10] (D-VA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3] (R-MS), 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3] (D-NV), 2026-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] (D-CA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30] (D-CA), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-03-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10] (R-NC), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27] (D-CA), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1] (R-MI), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] (R-MI), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11] (R-NC), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1] (R-KS), 2026-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2026-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2] (D-NM), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50] (D-CA), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4] (R-SC), 2026-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] (R-TX), 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1] (R-WI), 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA), 2026-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2026-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19] (R-FL), 2026-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stutzman, Marlin A. [R-IN-3] (R-IN), 2026-05-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14] (R-NC), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6] (R-KY), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1] (R-FL), 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] (R-TX), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rose, John W. [R-TN-6] (R-TN), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE), 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-07-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX), 2026-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL), 2026-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Letlow, Julia [R-LA-5] (R-LA), 2026-07-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2] (R-KS), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1] (R-NE), 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Suing platforms for fake ad harms: benefit, medium. If enacted, you would be able to sue in federal court if a paid ad on a platform harms you. You could seek injunctive relief, actual damages, restitution, and other equitable relief. A court could award up to three times your actual damages if the company acted willfully or knowingly. A prevailing…
- FTC rulemaking and enforcement powers: benefit, medium. If enacted, violations of this law would be treated as violations of the FTC Act. The Federal Trade Commission would have its usual powers, duties, and penalties to enforce the law. The FTC would have to write implementing regulations within 1 year and review those rules every year.
- State attorneys general can sue: benefit, medium. If enacted, a State attorney general would be able to bring a federal suit on behalf of residents to stop violations and get damages, restitution, or other relief. The State AG generally would have to notify the FTC and include a copy of the complaint before suing. The FTC could intervene, be heard…
- Limits on Section 230 immunity: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would say Section 230(c)(1) immunity would not apply to violations of this law. Protections under Section 230(c)(2) would still apply. The bill would not preempt State or local laws and would include a severability clause to preserve the rest of the section if part is invalidat…
- Requirements for verifying and removing ads: mixed, high. If enacted, online platforms that take money to show ads would have to verify advertisers before placing paid ads. Verification would include legal name, physical location, government ID or business documents, contact information, and steps to stop identity circumvention. Platforms would need imper…
- Definitions for deceptive ads and platforms: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would define key terms used by this law. "Deceptive" would follow the FTC Act but be limited to material misrepresentations or omissions likely to cause financial harm. "Online platform" would mean public-facing sites or apps that mainly host user-generated content, like social…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7548 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7548)

## Related
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7548 (as of 2026-10-24).