WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation aimed at strengthening federal efforts to combat organized retail crime, calling the measure a critical step toward addressing increasingly sophisticated theft operations affecting retailers nationwide.
The House passed H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, with bipartisan support. The legislation is designed to improve coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting organized retail theft and cargo crime networks.
“Organized retail crime is one of the most urgent challenges facing retailers large and small in the communities they serve,” said David French, executive vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation.
French said the retail industry has pushed for federal legislation that would strengthen collaboration among law enforcement agencies and provide additional tools to disrupt organized theft rings that increasingly target retailers, supply chains and consumers.
“We applaud the House for its strong bipartisan passage of this legislation,” French said. “This marks a critical step toward addressing the national threat posed by organized theft rings and cargo theft.”
The legislation was sponsored by Representatives David Joyce, Susie Lee, Dina Titus and David G. Valadao.
According to NRF, the bill would strengthen efforts to identify, investigate and dismantle organized criminal operations involved in retail theft and cargo-related crimes. The trade association urged the Senate to move quickly on the legislation and send it to the president for signature.
NRF said it has spent the past year advocating for passage of the bill through lobbying efforts, law enforcement coordination and congressional testimony. The organization noted that it submitted multiple letters of support to lawmakers and federal agencies throughout 2025 and 2026, including comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding cargo theft and testimony before House committees examining retail crime.
The organization has argued that organized retail crime has evolved beyond isolated shoplifting incidents into coordinated criminal enterprises involving resale networks, ecommerce fraud and supply chain theft.
According to NRF’s “The Impact of Theft & Violence 2025” report, 70% of retailers surveyed reported increases in phone scams linked to organized retail crime groups over the past year. In addition, 55% reported increases in digital and ecommerce fraud, while 52% cited increases in shoplifting and merchandise theft tied to organized crime operations. Half of respondents also reported increases in cargo and supply chain theft.
Retailers and industry groups have increasingly called for stronger federal coordination as organized retail crime incidents continue to grow in scale and sophistication, affecting store operations, employee safety and product availability.
Based in Washington, D.C., National Retail Federation represents retailers of all sizes and formats and advocates on issues including retail crime, supply chain security and consumer policy.
