Congress tightens bribery law, raising prison time and adding asset seizure.

What it does

This bill amends federal law to create a new criminal offense for giving or receiving gratuities of $1,000 or more to government officials in connection with transactions worth $5,000 or more involving federal funds. It increases the maximum prison sentence for the existing gratuity offense from 10 to 15 years and adds forfeiture provisions for proceeds of the new offense. The bill applies to agents of organizations, state/local/tribal governments, and their agencies.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is the creation and enhancement of criminal penalties for gratuities to government officials in federal-fund contexts. It is a straightforward criminal-law amendment designed to deter bribery and corruption, not a tax provision, subsidy, or deregulation.

What the text implies

• The $1,000 threshold for criminal liability (vs. the $5,000 transaction threshold) creates a 5:1 ratio that may capture consulting fees, legal advice, or legitimate business payments to government employees, not just bribes.
• The phrase 'anything of value' is undefined in the bill text and relies on existing 18 U.S.C. § 666 interpretation; prosecutorial discretion over what constitutes 'value' could expand liability beyond cash to gifts, travel, or favors.
• Forfeiture provisions (§ 981, § 982) apply to 'proceeds' of the offense, potentially seizing business assets or personal property of individuals convicted under the new subsection (b), even if the gratuity itself was modest.
• The bill applies to 'agents' of organizations receiving federal funds, which may include employees, contractors, or consultants; the scope of 'agent' is not defined in this bill and depends on existing case law.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill strengthens anti-corruption enforcement by criminalizing a specific form of bribery and increasing penalties, which protects public integrity and deters official misconduct. However, the $1,000 threshold for criminal liability (vs. civil penalties) and the broad definition of 'anything of value' may create prosecutorial discretion risks and could chill legitimate business-government interactions or consulting arrangements, particularly for small organizations dealing with local governme

Named in the bill

18 U.S.C. § 666 (Federal program fraud and illegal gratuities), 18 U.S.C. § 981 (Forfeiture of proceeds), 18 U.S.C. § 982 (Forfeiture of proceeds of crime), State, local, and Indian Tribal governments, Federal program recipients

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Sep 24, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Sep 24, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.