NRF commends house passage of federal retail crime bill

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act expands federal enforcement of criminal offenses related to organized retail and supply chain crime.

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that aims to counter organized theft of cargo and transport of counterfeit or stolen goods. H.B. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025, expands federal enforcement of criminal offenses related to organized retail and supply chain crime, which includes criminal offenses involving interstate transportation of stolen property, the sale or receipt of stolen goods or theft from an interstate or foreign shipment that is committed by or in coordination with the instruction of an organization.

The National Retail Federation has commended the passage of this bill, noting that it addresses a major challenge in the industry.

“Organized retail crime is one of the most urgent challenges facing retailers large and small in the communities they serve,” says David French, executive vice president of government relations at NRF. “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.”

The bipartisan bill was introduced by Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio alongside Susie Lee of Nevada, David Valadao of California, Dina Titus of Nevada, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Laurel Lee of Florida, Lou Correa of California and Michael Baumgartner of Washington.

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 e-commerce frauds (55%), shoplifting and merchandise theft (52%) and cargo or supply chain thefts (50%) being conducted by organized crime ring groups over the past 12 months. NRF says it has been advocating for the passage of this legislation to combat retail theft for over a year, often sending letters and comments to lawmakers on this topic.

“NRF has been leading the fight on behalf of retailers for the 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,” French says.

He adds, “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. This 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.”