HR 6678 United States House · 118th Congress

Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act

HR 6678 would add Social Security fraud to U.S. immigration law as grounds for denying entry or deportation. Specifically, non-citizens convicted of or admitting to fraud involving Social Security numbers (42 U.S.C. 408) or fake identification documents (18 U.S.C. 1028), including conspiracy to commit these acts, could be barred from entering the U.S. or removed from the country. The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include these offenses under existing inadmissibility (Section 212(a)(2)(J)) and deportability (Section 237(a)(2)(G)) provisions. This directly affects non-citizens who commit these specific frauds, not the general public or U.S. citizens.

Issues: ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics: Enforcement Sanctuary Policies Work Authorization

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2023

Committee Review

Feb 2024

House Passage

Jan 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Dec 7, 2023 Last action Feb 5, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 3 edits · Jan 31, 2024

MINOR

The bill was expanded to add a new ground for inadmissibility and deportability: fraud related to specific COVID-19 relief programs. Previously the bill only covered Social Security fraud and identification document fraud. The engrossed version adds a defined term 'covered COVID offense' that encompasses fraud involving certain Small Business Act loans (including PPP and EIDL) and grants under the American Rescue Plan Act and the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded from covering only Social Security fraud and identification document fraud to also covering fraud related to specific COVID-19 relief programs, including PPP loans, EIDL loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and other pandemic-era small business assistance programs. This significantly broadens the types of fraud that can trigger immigration consequences for non-citizens.

SCOPE

Added 'covered COVID offense' as a new ground for both inadmissibility and deportability of non-citizens. This expands the bill beyond Social Security and ID document fraud to include fraud related to specific pandemic relief programs.

DEFINITION

Defined 'covered COVID offense' as fraud pertaining to loans under paragraphs (36) or (37) of section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, loans under section 7(b) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, grants under section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or grants under section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the inadmissibility provision into subsections (i) 'In general' and (ii) 'Covered COVID offense' for clarity. Updated section titles to reference 'identification document fraud' in addition to Social Security fraud.

Floor votes · House Jan 31, 2024

How they voted

272–155

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 432

Jan 31, 2024

D Democratic213

55 Yea 155 Nay 3

72% Nay

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican218

216 Yea 2

99% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 5, 2024

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

upper

Jan 31, 2024

Lower · Passed

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 272 - 155 (Roll no. 27).

lower

Jan 31, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 272 - 155 (Roll no. 27).

lower

Jan 31, 2024

Introduced

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the D'Esposito amendment No. 1, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Nadler demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.

lower

Jan 31, 2024

Introduced

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 980, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the D'Esposito amendment No. 1.

lower

Jan 29, 2024

Lower · Passed

Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 980 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5585, H.R. 6678, H.R. 6679 and H.R. 6976. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 5585, H.R. 6678, H.R. 6679, and H.R. 6976 under a structured rule. Rule provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure.

lower

Jan 25, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 118-356.

lower

Jan 18, 2024

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 11.

lower

Jan 18, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Dec 7, 2023

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

lower

Dec 7, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors