U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, a Republican whose district includes Trumbull County, reintroduced a bill in the House targeting theft, fraud and other organized crimes against retail stores and various parts of the nation’s supply chain.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is a bipartisan bill that was also reintroduced in the Senate to create new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft and combat criminal operations.

In addition to Joyce, R-Bainbridge, the bill has six lead House sponsors — three Republicans and three Democrats — and is sponsored in the Senate by Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and Catherine Cortez Masto, a New Mexico Democrat.

The bill would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center in the Homeland Security Investigations unit at the Department of Homeland Security. The center would allow increased collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, along with retail crime association and subject matter experts, to create a cohesive strategy to combat retail crimes and share resources.

“Businesses throughout my district are facing the burdens of a rise in organized retail crimes and fraud schemes that are sweeping the nation,” Joyce said.

He added: “These criminal organizations are not only harming small businesses and retailers in our communities, but are also putting American consumers at risk of violence and fraud. These crimes also have more widespread consequences for public safety as these organized groups often resell stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations.”

The bill was introduced Feb. 9, 2023, in the House and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. It never had a hearing despite 140 members signing on as cosponsors. The companion was introduced Jan. 30, 2023, in the Senate and sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee without a hearing.

The new bill, like the one from 2023, seeks to broaden the scope of conduct that qualifies as offenses and allow for prosecution under the federal money laundering statute.

Retail larceny incidents increased by 93% from 2019 to 2023, including a 90% increase in actual dollar loss, according to the National Retail Federation. Stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, compared to $61.7 billion in 2019.

Also, product manufacturers and the supply chain are experiencing a rise in organized cargo theft across rails, road and distribution points. CargoNet, which operates a national database on cargo theft, reported a 27% increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over the prior year.

The bill seeks to improve enforcement capabilities and foster coordination among various law enforcement agencies while safeguarding commerce, consumer confidence and national security.

David French, NRF’s executive vice president of government relations, praised Joyce “for his continuing leadership to address one of retail’s biggest challenges: the rise of organized retail crime. ORC is a multi-billion-dollar crisis impacting retailers, their associates and customers they serve.”

He added that the bill “is an important step to help prevent ORC from infiltrating local communities across the country.”