Palmer’s ZOMBIE Act Passes U.S. House
House backs Gary Palmer’s bill aimed at reducing improper federal payments and strengthening fraud prevention efforts
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Alabama Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL-06) aimed at reducing improper federal payments and strengthening oversight of taxpayer funds.
The bill, H.R. 8467, known as the Zeroing Out Monetary Benefits Improperly Expended (ZOMBIE) Act, passed the House on June 10. The measure seeks to curb government waste, fraud and abuse by requiring federal agencies to take a more active role in identifying risks before payments are made.
The legislation builds on reforms to the Payment Integrity Information Act and focuses federal agencies on preventing improper payments that result in financial losses to the government. Among other changes, the bill would require agencies to conduct regular risk assessments, improve reporting practices, and expand the use of fraud prevention tools.
Following House passage, Palmer praised the measure as a commonsense step toward protecting taxpayer dollars.
“For too long, billions of taxpayer dollars have been lost to improper payments and fraud because federal agencies have failed to identify risks before money goes out the door. The House passage of the ZOMBIE Act is an important step toward addressing this problem by requiring agencies to take a proactive approach to preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. I appreciate my colleagues for supporting this commonsense reform and look forward to seeing the Senate follow suit,” said Palmer.
The bill previously cleared the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with unanimous support. Palmer said at the time that the measure would shift the federal government's focus from tracking improper payments after they occur to preventing them before funds are lost.
The ZOMBIE Act would require agencies to review programs every three years for risks tied to improper payments that cause financial losses. It also directs the U.S. Department of the Treasury to develop additional risk assessment guidance and expands reporting requirements related to fraud prevention efforts.
The legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
Rep. Palmer’s remarks on the House floor on the ZOMBIE Act may be seen on YouTube or below:
