# 119-s-3652: Welfare Fraud Deterrence and Recovery Act of 2026

119-s-3652, Welfare Fraud Deterrence and Recovery Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] (R-AR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3652
- 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-3652
- Congress: 119
- Title: Welfare Fraud Deterrence and Recovery Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-15
- Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] (R-AR)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Expanded penalties for welfare fraud**. This bill would stiffen criminal and civil punishments, add immigration consequences for fraud convictions, and create a centralized Welfare Fraud Recovery Task Force to sue and recover lost funds. - People convicted of welfare fraud would face tougher prison terms, including up to 15 years and a mandatory minimum of 2 years for noncitizens. - Naturalized citizens could be denaturalized for welfare fraud and barred from readmission for 20 years, and the bill broadens grounds for deportation and expedited removal for fraud offenses. - A Welfare Fraud Recovery Task Force would be able to bring civil suits, place recoveries into a dedicated fund that reimburses Federal programs and pays enforcement costs, and share recoveries with cooperating States who may receive up to 20%.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tools for international fraud recovery: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Task Force would be able to use mutual legal assistance, extradition, INTERPOL, and civil forfeiture to freeze, seize, and repatriate assets tied to cross‑border welfare fraud. Recovered foreign assets would go into the Welfare Fraud Recovery Fund. The Secretary of State could tie f…
- Harsher criminal and immigration penalties: cost, medium. If enacted, false‑statement or welfare‑related crimes tied to federal welfare programs could carry up to 15 years in prison. If the defendant is a noncitizen or naturalized citizen, prison would be at least 2 years; if the person obtained $100,000 or more, prison would be at least 5 years. Courts w…
- New DOJ welfare fraud Task Force: mixed, high. If enacted, the Attorney General would create a Welfare Fraud Recovery Task Force at DOJ to investigate and sue over federal welfare fraud. The Task Force would be able to bring civil suits and seek penalties of $10,000–$20,000, treble damages (3×), and attorney fees. For noncitizens, courts would…
- State cooperation and fund penalties: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Task Force would be able to enter into agreements with States to share records and run joint investigations. States that join joint investigations could receive up to 20% of recovered funds. If a State refuses to help, an agency could withhold up to 10% of that State's federal welfa…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2342: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4615: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-2010: TERMS Act
- 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3652 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3652)

## Related
- [119-s-2342: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2342)
- [119-s-4615: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4615)
- [119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2142)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-2010: TERMS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2010)
- [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3652 (as of 2026-08-11).