# 119-hr-7638: FAIR Act of 2026

119-hr-7638, FAIR Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5] (R-MI); status introduced (as of 2026-06-07).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7638
- As of: 2026-06-07
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7638
- Congress: 119
- Title: FAIR Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5] (R-MI)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-07

## Summary

**Ban nonjudicial civil forfeiture** and push most federal property seizures into the courts. This bill would raise proof standards for forfeiture, add faster hearings and notice rules for people who lose property, and move forfeiture proceeds into the General Fund of the Treasury. - Individuals and property owners would gain stronger protections. The government would face higher evidentiary standards, including clear and convincing proof when it claims property was used to commit a crime, and claimants would get better notice and identification rights plus a 14 day probable‑cause hearing for certain seizures. - Federal law enforcement and the Department of Justice would face tighter limits on seizing and keeping property without judicial involvement. The bill narrows or bans nonjudicial forfeiture, shifts many steps into judicial processes, and adds a knowledge requirement for anti‑structuring laws. - Federal finances and reporting would change. The bill would require forfeiture proceeds from major statutes to be deposited into the General Fund and would force clearer reporting that separates criminal from civil forfeiture funds.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD), 2026-02-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] (R-CA), 2026-02-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2026-02-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger protections for seized property: benefit, medium. This bill would sharply limit agency-only forfeitures and require most forfeitures to go to a U.S. district court. The government would have to prove a claimant is not an innocent owner by a preponderance of the evidence, and when property is alleged used to commit a crime the government would need…
- Faster hearings and structuring rules: benefit, low. The bill would add the word "knowingly" to the federal structuring law, narrowing what prosecutors must prove and limiting covered transactions to funds not from a legitimate source. It would also require a court hearing within 14 days after notice when property is seized under that structuring rul…
- Forfeiture money sent to Treasury: mixed, medium. The bill would require proceeds from many federal forfeitures to be forwarded to the U.S. Treasury General Fund or transferred on terms set by the Treasurer. It would change reporting so agencies must separate criminal and civil forfeiture deposits. The bill also revises customs (Tariff Act) forfei…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-7638 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7638)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7638 (as of 2026-06-07).