Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, during Police Week, I am proud to stand in support of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

Organized retail crime puts all of us in danger. This isn't typical shoplifting. It involves integrated organized networks, often transnational, who are very sophisticated in planning and reselling their items.

Quite simply, it is a coordinated criminal enterprise that hurts consumers, taxpayers, and businesses of all sizes. In fact, it is especially small businesses that often lack security teams, can't absorb large losses, and face higher insurance costs that are hurt the most.

These crimes have more widespread consequences for public safety because these organized groups often resell their stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations.

My hometown of Las Vegas is ranked sixth in the Nation for cities affected by organized retail crime. In Nevada alone, organized retail crime has caused an estimated loss of $85 million in tax revenues and close to a half a billion dollars in the total amount of goods stolen each year.

This isn't just a financial issue, however. It is a public safety one. Shoppers and retail employees face intimidation, threats, and real physical danger.

We need to work to dismantle these criminal networks. Our local and State law enforcement agencies are doing incredible work, but this shouldn't be left up to local police alone. We need coordination at the Federal level to investigate and prosecute these crimes and link activity across State and transnational lines.

CORCA would update the law to designate organized retail crime as a Federal offense and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on criminal operations.

I am grateful that over 200 of my colleagues cosponsored this legislation, and I ask both Democrats and Republicans to join me in passing it to support our local businesses, equip our law enforcement with the resources they need, and keep our retail workers and customers safe.

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