# 119-s-121: Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act

119-s-121, Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-121
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-121
- Congress: 119
- Title: Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Sponsor: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK)
- Cosponsors: 17
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**This bill would extend the statute of limitations to 10 years for violations tied to pandemic-era relief programs.** It also defines which laws count as "pandemic-era" and applies the timing rules to criminal prosecutions, civil forfeiture, and False Claims Act suits related to covered COVID-19 funding such as the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. - Prosecutors and defendants: Criminal prosecutions for covered pandemic-era program violations could be started up to 10 years after the offense, replacing the generally shorter limit for many programs. - Civil forfeiture: Forfeiture actions under the customs laws must begin within 10 years after discovery of the alleged violation or within 3 years after discovery of the property's involvement, whichever is later, with exceptions for absence or concealment. - False Claims Act cases: Civil suits under 31 U.S.C. 3730 for pandemic-era fraud could be filed no more than 10 years after the violation, and related statutory notices must be sent within 10 years.

## Cosponsors (17)

- Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-02-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] (R-WI), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH), 2025-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] (R-SC), 2025-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (R-UT), 2025-03-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-01-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-01-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA] (R-PA), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Limits on pandemic-era fraud cases: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would set new time limits for fraud tied to pandemic-era programs. Criminal prosecutions would generally need to start within 10 years after the offense. Civil forfeiture cases must start within 10 years after discovery of the alleged violation or within 3 years after discoveri…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.
- 119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States Senator for the State of Idaho.
- 119-sres-585: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
- 119-sres-255: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri.

## Sources
- [119-s-121 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/121)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-723)
- [119-sres-585: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Ben Nighthorse Camp…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-585)
- [119-sres-255: A resolution honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of former United State…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-255)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-121 (as of 2026-08-11).