Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) introduced the Accountability Doesn’t Expire Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the authority of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) through Fiscal Year 2030. The legislation ensures that both state and federal investigators retain access to vital oversight tools needed to hold pandemic-era fraudsters accountable.
“Extending the PRAC’s authority keeps the pressure on fraudsters and cheats who tried to game the system. We are making sure law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to bring them to justice,” said Vindman. “With $5.4 billion in fraud already identified, it’s clear that PRAC’s work remains unfinished. That’s why I’m pushing to renew this critical oversight tool so we can protect the integrity of emergency relief programs for future generations.”
The PRAC was established to oversee federal government spending on the COVID-19 pandemic. It has played a critical role in uncovering fraud and supporting prosecutions tied to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. With billions of taxpayer dollars at stake and statutes of limitations now extended to 10 years, this legislation ensures investigators can continue to leverage the PRAC’s technical tools, databases, and expert resources.
Specifically, the Accountability Doesn’t Expire Act will:
- Extends PRAC’s operations through FY2030,
- Requires the PRAC to release a report on the impact of extending the statutes of limitations for PPP and EIDL fraud to ten years, and
- Maintains independent oversight through the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).
The bill builds on prior legislation signed into law in 2022 and 2025 that extended the statutes of limitations for PPP, EIDL, and UI fraud to a decade — acknowledging the complexity of large-scale fraud cases and giving investigators the time needed to pursue justice.
BACKGROUND
Since its creation, the PRAC has helped identify over $5.4 billion in pandemic-related fraud, supporting hundreds of investigations and producing meaningful returns on investment for the federal government.
It is chaired by the Inspector General for the Department of Justice and headed by the Inspectors General from the Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Labor, and Treasury, as well as the Inspectors General for SBA and Tax Administration.
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