H.R. 4495: SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act

Introduced Jul 17, 20252 cosponsors

Sponsor

Troy Downing

Republican · MT-2

Bill Progress

IntroducedJul 17

Committee

Pass HouseDec 1

Pass Senate

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Dec 2, 2025

1/2

Passed the House, received in Senate

House backs longer window for SBA fraud

2 min readLast updated March 11, 2026

Why it matters

Federal investigators say pandemic aid fraud cases are still surfacing years later, and this bill gives them more time to bring criminal and civil cases tied to two major grant programs.

The main debate is likely to be about fairness and reach. Backers will say a longer timeline is needed because fraud investigations are slow and public money should be clawed back wherever possible. Critics could argue that extending legal exposure years after the fact creates uncertainty for businesses and individuals, even if the bill is aimed at intentional misconduct rather than paperwork mistakes.

What does H.R. 4495 do?

Extends fraud case deadline to 10 years

Gives the government up to 10 years after an alleged violation to file criminal charges or civil enforcement actions tied to covered fraud cases.

Covers shuttered venue grants

Applies the longer enforcement timeline to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which helped live venues and related businesses during the pandemic.

Covers restaurant relief grants

Applies the same 10-year timeline to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which provided pandemic aid to restaurants and similar food businesses.

Uses existing fraud laws

Does not create new crimes. It relies on already existing federal laws covering conspiracy, theft of government money, false statements, fraud, identity-related offenses, and money laundering.

Allows criminal and civil enforcement

Lets both prosecutors and civil enforcement agencies pursue cases, including actions under major federal false claims laws.

Who benefits from H.R. 4495?

Federal prosecutors

They get more time to build complicated fraud cases that may take years to uncover and document.

Inspectors general and investigators

They benefit from a longer runway to trace money, review records, and coordinate with other agencies on pandemic fraud cases.

Taxpayers

They may benefit if the government is better able to recover stolen or fraudulently obtained pandemic relief funds.

Legitimate grant recipients

Businesses that followed the rules may benefit if stronger enforcement deters fraud and protects trust in relief programs.

Who is affected by H.R. 4495?

Recipients of shuttered venue grants

They could face a longer period of legal scrutiny if the government suspects fraud tied to their grant applications or use of funds.

Recipients of restaurant revitalization grants

They would remain exposed to criminal or civil enforcement for up to 10 years for alleged fraud involving these grants.

People and firms tied to alleged fraud schemes

Consultants, intermediaries, or co-conspirators involved in allegedly false applications or misuse of funds could face a longer enforcement window.

Small businesses keeping old records

Businesses in covered programs may feel pressure to preserve documents and financial records longer in case questions arise.

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On the Record

What Congress Is Saying

10 legislators have weighed in on H.R. 4495 — 4 Democrats, 6 Republicans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4495, the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, a companion piece of legislation to S. 1199, introduced by Senator Ernst. H.R. 4495 is bipartisan legislation introduced by the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Downing) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Conaway). For 4 years, the Biden administration's SBA failed to address over $200 billion in COVID-19 era fraud. H.R. 4495 extends the soon-to- expire statute of limitations for two pandemic-era relief programs: The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Roger Williams(R–TX)·Dec 1, 2025·House

I rise today in support of H.R. 4495, the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act. This bill builds off the work done by Ranking Member Velazquez in a previous Congress. That bill extended the statute of limitations for investigating fraud in the PPP and EIDL programs. All of the major pandemic relief programs, including the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant Program and Restaurant Revitalization Fund, will have extended statutes of limitations from 5 years to 10 years because of this bill.

Gilbert Ray Cisneros(D–CA)·Dec 1, 2025·House

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4495, the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act. I am the co-lead on this legislation, along with my friend, colleague, and fellow Air Force veteran, Representative Downing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 30 million small businesses were negatively impacted. The Federal Government took action to ensure that an unprecedented amount of money flowed into small businesses in the form of grants and loans in order to help them stay afloat.

Herbert C. Conaway(D–NJ)·Dec 1, 2025·House

H.R. 4495 also appeared in 3 more House floor references and 2 routine cosponsor filings.

HR4495 Legislative Journey

5 actions

Sent to Senate

Dec 2, 2025

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 281.

House: Vote: 4914-4916

Dec 1, 2025

4914-4916

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4914-4916)

House: Committee Action

Aug 15, 2025

119-226

Reported by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-226.

House: Vote: 23-0

Jul 22, 2025

23-0

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 0.

House: Committee Action

Jul 17, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

About the Sponsor

Troy Downing

Republican, Montana's 2nd congressional district · 1 years in Congress

Committees: Small Business, Financial Services

View full profile →

Cosponsors (2)

No new cosponsors in 274 days — momentum stalled

All 2 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 2 states: New Jersey, Virginia.

2Democrats·2 states

Herbert Conaway

Democrat · NJ

Eugene Vindman

Democrat · VA

Committee Sponsors

Small Business Committee

11D15R

|0 signed26 not yet

0 of 26 committee members cosponsored

No committee members have cosponsored this bill

15 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents

What laws does H.R. 4495 change?

1 changes

Full Text

Sections Amended

Section 5003 of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c)

adding at the end the following: ``(d) Statute of Limitations

H.R. 4495 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

Committee: Small Business
Chamber: House
Policy: Commerce
Introduced: Jul 17, 2025

Passed the House, received in Senate

Dec 2, 2025

Constituent Resources

Find your legislators on H.R. 4495

Get notified when this bill moves

Official Sources

H.R. 4495 on Congress.gov

Full bill text, cosponsors, and legislative history for the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act

S. 1199 — Senate Companion Bill

Identical Senate version introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on March 27, 2025

H. Rept. 119-226 — Committee Report

House Small Business Committee report on H.R. 4495, ordered reported 23-0 on July 22, 2025

SBA: Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program

Official SBA page for the SVOG program — one of the two grant programs covered by the extended statute of limitations

SBA: Restaurant Revitalization Fund

Official SBA page for the RRF program — the second grant program covered by the bill's 10-year enforcement window

SBA OIG: Pandemic Response Oversight

SBA Inspector General oversight hub tracking fraud investigations across all pandemic relief programs, including SVOG and RRF

House Small Business Committee: COVID-19 Fraud Investigation Report

Committee staff report estimating approximately $200 billion in fraudulent pandemic relief disbursements across SBA programs

DOJ: Combating COVID-19 Fraud

Department of Justice COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force page with enforcement actions and reporting resources

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H.R. 4495 Common Questions

How long does the government have to prosecute Restaurant Revitalization Fund fraud?

Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, the government would have 10 years after the violation or conspiracy to bring criminal or civil cases involving Restaurant Revitalization Fund fraud (Section 2(b)).

How long does the government have to prosecute Shuttered Venue Operators Grant fraud?

According to H.R. 4495, prosecutions or civil enforcement tied to Shuttered Venue Operators Grant fraud must be filed within 10 years of the violation or conspiracy (Section 2(a)).

Can the government still sue over false claims in restaurant relief grants after several years?

Yes. Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, civil actions under federal false claims laws for restaurant revitalization grants can be brought up to 10 years after the violation or conspiracy (Section 2(b)).

Does the bill cover criminal charges and civil enforcement for SBA pandemic grant fraud?

Yes. Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, the 10-year window applies to both criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions for the covered grant programs (Section 2(a)-(b)).

Which federal crimes get the 10-year deadline extension for SBA grant fraud cases?

According to H.R. 4495 Section 2, the extension covers conspiracy, theft of government money, false statements, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, fraud conspiracies, and money laundering.

Does the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act include False Claims Act cases?

Yes. Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, the 10-year filing window includes actions under 31 U.S.C. 3729, the federal False Claims Act, for both covered programs (Section 2(a)-(b)).

Can aggravated identity theft charges be filed years later for SBA pandemic grants?

Yes. According to H.R. 4495, aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. 1028A is one of the offenses that can be pursued within 10 years for the covered grant programs (Section 2(a)-(b)).

Does the bill create any new fraud crimes for restaurant or venue grants?

No. Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, the bill extends the filing deadline but relies on existing federal criminal and civil fraud statutes rather than creating new crimes (Section 2(a)-(b)).

Can wire fraud and money laundering charges be used in Shuttered Venue Operators Grant cases?

Yes. Under the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, SVOG cases can use existing wire fraud and money laundering statutes, including 18 U.S.C. 1343, 1956, and 1957, within the 10-year window (Section 2(a)).

What businesses are covered by the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act?

According to H.R. 4495, the bill covers fraud cases involving Shuttered Venue Operators Grants and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, affecting live venue operators and restaurant-related businesses (Section 2(a)-(b)).

Based on H.R. 4495 bill text

H.R. 4495 Bill Text

PDF

“To extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain pandemic programs, and for other purposes.”

Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office

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