HR 8467 United States House · 119th Congress

ZOMBIE Act

The ZOMBIE Act amends the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, primarily affecting federal executive agencies and their oversight of government spending. The bill redefines "improper payments" to specifically focus on those that result in a "financial loss to the Government," excluding administrative errors that don't cause actual financial harm. It requires the Treasury Secretary to develop new risk assessment guidance, which agencies must use to conduct more frequent assessments of their programs for these specific types of improper payments and fraud. Agencies will also be required to designate a senior official to coordinate efforts with oversight bodies, report on actions taken to prevent financial losses, and implement enhanced financial and administrative controls to mitigate fraud risks in federal programs.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Jun 2026

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Apr 23, 2026 Last action Jun 11, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 7 edits · Jun 10, 2026

MODERATE

The engrossed version of the ZOMBIE Act makes several substantive changes from the introduced version, including adding a new section on reforms to inspector general compliance reports, requiring annual Federal-State coordination meetings on payment integrity, reducing the reporting frequency for agency improper payment reports from annual to at least every 3 years, and adjusting percentage thresholds. The bill's core purpose remains narrowing the definition of 'improper payments' to only those resulting in financial loss to the Government, which would exclude administrative or procedural errors from being counted.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded with the addition of Section 3, which extends reforms to inspector general annual compliance reports under section 3353 of title 31, and with new Federal-State coordination requirements that bring state and local government officials into the federal improper payment oversight framework.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 3 requires OMB and CIGIE to revise (rather than newly develop) existing guidance for inspector general annual compliance reports, with all references to improper payments now qualified by 'that result in financial loss to the Government.'

New Federal-State coordination meeting requirement: the OMB Director and Treasury Secretary must convene at least annually a meeting of State officials responsible for program and payment integrity in federally-administered state/local programs to review fraud prevention performance, share best practices, and identify coordination challenges.

Percentage thresholds in section 3351(i)(2) changed: subparagraph (C) threshold reduced from 25 to 10, and subparagraph (D) threshold increased from 25 to 75, altering the conditions under which certain corrective actions are triggered.

TIMELINE

Agency reporting frequency changed from 'annual report' to 'not less than once every 3 years,' with the option to combine the report with a high-priority Federal program report under subsection (b)(2)(F).

The deadline for OMB to develop guidance now includes 'and periodically thereafter,' extending the obligation beyond the initial 1-year period after enactment.

DEFINITION

Payment timing categories expanded from 'prepayment and postpayment' to 'pre-award, pre-payment, and post-payment,' adding pre-award as a distinct phase subject to improper payment controls.

TECHNICAL

Clarified that information on improper payments must be included 'in the accompanying materials to' the report rather than simply 'with' it, specifying where such information should appear.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 10, 2026

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

lower

Jun 8, 2026

Introduced

Mr. Gill (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Apr 29, 2026

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

lower

Apr 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors