ZOMBIE Act
Sponsored By: Representative Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6]
In Committee
Summary
This bill refocuses federal improper-payment rules on payments that cause a direct _financial loss to the Government_. It tightens how agencies measure, report, and prevent those losses using fraud-risk frameworks and stronger data integration.
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- Agencies must perform program-by-program risk assessments at least once every 3 years and keep a statistically valid estimate of improper payments that cause financial loss. Those estimates must appear in each agency's annual budget justification and be updated after major program changes.
- Each agency must designate a liaison to meet annually with the Office of Management and Budget, Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, agency Inspectors General, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to coordinate fraud prevention and Do Not Pay integration.
- Reports must identify responsible data systems, describe progress using GAO fraud-risk frameworks and Do Not Pay tools, list prioritized risks and controls, and name payments that resulted in financial loss along with actions taken to address them.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Agencies report federal payment losses
This bill would define "financial loss to the Government" and require agencies to report improper payments that cause such loss. Agencies would have to include statistically valid loss estimates in their annual budget justification for the most recent fiscal year. The definition covers payments made in excess of the correct legal amount and excludes payments to the right person for the right amount when the only problem was certain administrative steps (but not failures to prove eligibility or verify amounts). If enacted, this would make federal improper payments that create real financial loss more visible to budget reviewers and the public.
Earlier checks and new thresholds
This bill would require agencies to do specified initial actions within one year and then periodically thereafter. It would shift required screening language from "prepayment and postpayment" to "pre-award and pre-payment," moving checks earlier to before awards and payments. The bill would also change two numeric thresholds in a subsection, replacing 25 with 10 in one place and 25 with 75 in another. If enacted, these changes would increase agency screening and reporting and could slow some awards or payments while aiming to reduce improper payments.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6]
AL • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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