NRF Commends House Passage of Federal Retail Crime Bill

WASHINGTON – The following statement may be attributed to National Retail Federation Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French following the House passage of H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

“Organized retail crime is one of the most urgent challenges facing retailers large and small in the communities they serve. NRF has long advocated for federal legislation that strengthens coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat these criminal networks and better protect retail employees and customers nationwide.

“NRF is grateful to Representatives David Joyce, R‑Ohio; Susie Lee, D‑Nev.; Dina Titus, D-Nev.; and David G. Valadao, R-Calif., for their leadership in sponsoring the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. We applaud the House for its strong bipartisan passage of this legislation. This marks a critical step toward addressing the national threat posed by organized theft rings and cargo theft. The legislation will strengthen efforts to identify, investigate and disrupt sophisticated criminal operations. We now urge the Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation and send it to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

“NRF has been leading the fight on behalf of retailers for passage of this legislation through direct engagement with federal, state and municipal law enforcement, coordinating fly-ins for lobbying by home state retail asset protection professionals, providing expert testimony and conducting fact-based research.”

On May 8, NRF sent a key vote letter to members of the United States House of Representatives in support of CORCA.

In January, NRF submitted a letter of support in advance of the House Judiciary Committee’s markup of CORCA.

In December 2025, NRF submitted a written statement for the record for a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing outlining the impacts of ORC on retailers and consumers.

Also in December, NRF submitted a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee for a hearing on combating retail crime on Main Street.

In October, NRF submitted comments to the Department of Transportation regarding protecting America’s supply chain from cargo theft.

In July, NRF led a member company sign-on letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership in support of CORCA.

According to NRF’s “The Impact of Theft & Violence 2025” report, more than half of retailers surveyed reported increases in phone scams (70%), digital and ecommerce frauds (55%), shoplifting and merchandise theft (52%), and cargo or supply chain thefts (50%) being conducted by ORC groups over the past 12 months.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com