WASHINGTON – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced the Combatting Organized Retail Crime (CORCA) Act alongside Reps. Dave Joyce (OH-14), Susie Lee (NV-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Laurel Lee (Fl-15), Lou Correa (CA-46), and Michael Baumgartner (WA-05). This bipartisan, bicameral bill takes important steps to strengthen legal tools for law enforcement and crack down on interstate and transnational crime. The Senate companion bill is led by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

The CORCA Act builds off initiatives in the Safeguarding our Supply Chains Act, which was introduced by Congressman David Valadao and Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) in the 118th Congress.

“Organized retail crime and supply chain theft are hitting families and small businesses hard in the Central Valley and beyond,” said Congressman Valadao. “These crimes are largely run by sophisticated criminal networks that endanger public safety and drive-up costs for consumers. In the 118th Congress, I introduced the Safeguarding our Supply Chains Act to fight back against cargo theft, and I’m happy to see some of that language included in this bill. The CORCA Act gives law enforcement the tools they need to hold criminals accountable, and I’m proud to work with my colleagues to get this across the finish line."

“Businesses throughout my district are facing the burdens of a rise in organized retail crimes and fraud schemes that are sweeping the nation,” said Rep. Joyce. “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. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation will give law enforcement the tools they need to put a stop to these rampant crimes. I want to thank Senator Grassley for his steadfast leadership on this effort and all our House and Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their partnership in addressing this critical issue.” 

“Organized retail crime puts all of us in danger, while hurting consumers, taxpayers, and businesses of all sizes. And the stolen goods fund human trafficking and terrorism,” said Rep. Susie Lee. “Our local and state law enforcement are doing incredible work, but we need coordination at the federal level to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Our bipartisan legislation will support law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on these criminal operations.”

“By establishing a coordinated federal response, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would target the criminals who endanger consumers, local businesses, and transportation networks, along with the nefarious transnational groups that fund their operations,” said Rep. Titus. “This legislation will help law enforcement better pursue and prosecute these bad actors, while protecting businesses and saving consumer dollars.”

“Organized cargo and retail theft are a real and growing problem in Illinois and across the country – it’s time Congress step in to counteract it,” said Rep. Schneider. “Cargo and retail theft are not just local issues -- organized groups are stealing goods at all points in the supply chain, oftentimes well before products make it to shelves, and resell stolen items across state lines. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to safeguard commerce, consumer confidence, and national security.”

"The rise in sophisticated criminal activities targeting retail stores and the broader supply chain has become a critical threat to our national economy, consumer safety, and public security," said Rep. Laurel Lee. "With retail theft surging by 93 percent over the last four years, the time to act is now. We must equip law enforcement with the necessary resources and tools to combat these criminals on a federal level, as they operate across state lines and international borders. I am proud to co-sponsor the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act to protect our businesses and keep our communities safe.”

“The damage of organized retail crime is real, and it hurts hard-working American taxpayers and businesses here in Orange County across the country,” Rep. Correa said. “Our state and local public safety officers work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from this crime, and they deserve the best possible tools to take down these criminal syndicates. Retail crime affects everyone—so I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act today to help stop this threat dead in its tracks.”

“Every time these criminals loot a store, fleece a supplier, highjack a trucker, shakedown a warehouse, honest Americans pay more. Prices go up, shelves go empty, and the working families in places like Spokane and Walla Walla get hit with a hidden tax — all because prosecutors are unable to prosecute, and thieves think they can get away with it,” said Rep. Baumgartner. “This bill hits back. It takes on the crime rings behind the theft, shuts down the online black market for stolen goods, and backs the blue with real support. Do you want to lower prices? Start by locking up the people who are robbing us blind.”

“The Home Depot applauds Congressman Valadao for committing to the safety of our associates and customers by introducing the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act," said Scott Glenn, VP of Asset Protection, The Home Depot. "This legislation will help stop dangerous criminals from stealing from our stores."

“The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) strongly supports efforts to combat organized retail crime, and we appreciate the strong bipartisan support behind the reintroduction of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act," said Megan Noland, MCSA Executive Director. "With provisions to strengthen penalties and the creation of a dedicated center for coordination and information sharing, this legislation is a vital step toward supporting law enforcement in our fight against organized crime. We look forward to working together to advance this important legislation during this Congress.”

“Organized cargo theft and fraud disrupt intermodal freight supply chains, risk the safety of our workforce, and harm the U.S. economy," said Anne Reinke, President & CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America. "The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) applauds Senator Grassley (R-IA), Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Reps. Joyce (R-OH), Lee (D-NV), Valadao (R-CA), Titus (D-NV), Baumgartner (R-WA), Schneider (D-IL), Lee (R-FL), and Correa (D-CA) for their leadership in championing critical legislation to address this urgent threat. The bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act will provide important resources to detect and fight organized crime throughout the supply chain, ensuring that our industry can continue delivering goods to American consumers safely and efficiently.”

“Organized criminal operations continue to evolve and escalate their targeted attacks against our nation’s supply chain and retailers,” said Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “This alarming trend affects every industry — including the nation’s largest railroads, which experienced a 40% spike in cargo theft last year. Rep. Valadao’s long-term leadership on developing a unified, federal response has been pivotal in shaping the legislation introduced today. CORCA’s economy-wide strategic framework will go a long way in disrupting these criminal networks and safeguarding our supply chain.”

“UPS supports the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act as it provides the necessary resources and coordination to protect the movement of American goods throughout our country while safeguarding the integrity of our national supply chain from rail to road, to retail,” said President of UPS Global Public Affairs Michael Kiely.

“Across the United States, communities small and large are facing an unprecedented number of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) incidents. The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act would provide the necessary resources to bring the people and organizations behind this nationwide problem to justice by establishing formal coordination between law enforcement and the private sector,” said ICSC President and CEO, Tom McGee. “We applaud Reps. Joyce, Lee, Titus, and Valadao for reintroducing the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act. We believe the bill represents a huge step in the right direction towards addressing this growing issue.”

“The trucking industry takes great pride in delivering America’s freight safely and on time; however, the billions of tons of goods transported by trucks from coast to coast have increasingly become a prime target for organized crime rings, including transnational organizations, putting truck drivers at risk and raising costs for consumers,” said American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear.  “ATA commends this bipartisan group of leaders for addressing this alarming trend and safeguarding our supply chain.  By empowering federal agencies to improve cooperation across jurisdictions and ramp up enforcement actions, this bill would strike an effective blow against organized crime.”

“Sophisticated criminal gangs are targeting retailers through brazen organized retail crime schemes, defrauding customers via gift card scams and attacking our supply chains by hijacking our rails and truck shipments. These criminal activities put retail employees, customers and supply chain partners in danger and allow criminal gangs to use ill-gotten profits to fund nefarious activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking. Dismantling these organized criminal rings requires cooperation and collaboration. RILA thanks Reps. Joyce (R-OH), Lee (D-NV), Valadao (R-CA), Titus (D-NV), Baumgartner (R-WA), Schneider (D-IL), Lee (R-FL), and Correa (D-CA) for their leadership and commitment to enacting the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), which brings federal, state, and local law enforcement together to intercept and prosecute these criminal enterprises. RILA looks forward to working with them to get this critical piece of legislation signed into law,” said Michael Hanson, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Senior Executive Vice President, Public Affairs. 

“NRF applauds Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH-14) for his continued leadership to address one of retail’s biggest challenges, the rise of organized retail crime. ORC is a multibillion-dollar crisis impacting retailers, their associates and the customers they serve. ORC is occurring across the retail enterprise – supply chains, bricks-and-mortar stores, warehouses and online – with stolen product sold for a profit, oftentimes to fund other crimes. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 will align efforts within a new Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to ensure that resources and information-sharing will be available across local, state, federal and private-sector partners to bring cases and prosecutions against organized theft groups. This legislation is an important step to help prevent ORC from infiltrating local communities across the country,” said NRF Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French.

Background:

Sophisticated criminal organizations have been increasingly involved in theft, fraud, and other property crimes against retail stores and various components of the supply chain. These crimes have escalated in scope and impact, threatening the national economy, consumer safety, and public security. According to the National Retail Federation, retail larceny incidents increased by 93% from 2019 to 2023, and stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023. This surge in retail crime is often orchestrated by organized groups to resell stolen goods through physical and online marketplaces, further fueling illicit profits and financing additional criminal enterprises.

At the same time, product manufacturers and supply chains are experiencing a rise in organized cargo theft across rails, roads, and the various distribution points across the United States. CargoNet reported a 27% increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over 2023. These thefts range from large-scale physical theft of goods from containers and storage to sophisticated cybercriminal methods that divert shipments to illicit receivers. This causes significant financial losses and operational supply chain disruptions.

The CORCA Act would:

• Strengthen legal tools for law enforcement by allowing criminal forfeitures for interstate shipment, transportation of stolen goods, or sale of stolen goods convictions.
• Expand money laundering statutes.
• Enable prosecution of organized retail and supply chain groups using interstate or foreign commerce to facilitate crimes.
• Mandate the creation of the Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is also supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Walgreens Co., CVS Health, Kroger, Walmart, and Target.

Read the full bill here.

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