The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime (CORCA) Act, on May 12. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Congressman David Valadao of California’s 22nd District along with several other representatives.
The legislation aims to give law enforcement stronger tools to investigate and dismantle organized theft rings that impact businesses and consumers. According to the National Retail Federation, retail larceny incidents increased by 93% from 2019 to 2023, with stores losing $121.6 billion in retail theft in just one year. This rise in crime is seen as a threat not only to local economies but also to public safety and national supply chains.
“Organized retail crime and cargo theft are hurting small businesses and families across the Central Valley,” said Congressman David Valadao. “These are coordinated criminal operations that put public safety at risk, disrupt supply chains, and drive-up costs for consumers. The CORCA Act gives law enforcement stronger tools to investigate and dismantle organized theft rings, and I’m especially proud to see language from my Safeguarding our Supply Chains Act included. This Police Week, I’m honored to help pass this bipartisan bill to hold criminals accountable and support the law enforcement officers working every day to keep our communities safe.”
The CORCA Act proposes several measures: it allows criminal forfeitures for convictions involving interstate shipment or sale of stolen goods; expands money laundering statutes; enables prosecution of groups using interstate or foreign commerce for these crimes; and mandates creation of an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations at the Department of Homeland Security.
CargoNet reported a 27% increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over the previous year, reflecting broader concerns about both physical heists from containers or storage facilities as well as cybercriminal activity targeting shipments—a trend causing financial losses across U.S. distribution points.
David Valadao is currently serving in Congress representing California’s 22nd district after replacing TJ Cox in 2021; he previously served in the California State Assembly from 2010-2012 according to the office of Congressman David G. Valadao. He was born in Hanford, California where he currently resides.
