Ashley Moody (R-FL)
Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2026. It aims to make staging crashes with commercial motor vehicles illegal under federal law. Anyone who intentionally causes a collision with a commercial vehicle can face heavy fines and imprisonment for not more than 20 years. If the staged crash causes serious bodily injury or death, the penalty increases to imprisonment for not less than 20 years. The bill also penalizes anyone who arranges for another person to stage these collisions. Finally, it stops a person from being prosecuted under this federal law if they were already convicted or acquitted for the same act under state, district, or territorial laws.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill provides protection for those operating commercial motor vehicles against fraudulent collisions.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill protects commercial motor vehicle operators from the financial and legal risks of staged accidents.
- Scored +2
Would people in cities be better off under this?
The bill may improve road safety for residents by deterring intentional collisions involving commercial vehicles.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?
The bill implements much harsher mandatory minimum sentences for specific criminal acts.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection Against Fraud: Section 2(a) adds Sec. 80505(a), which sets fines and up to 20 years in prison for anyone who intentionally causes a crash with a commercial motor vehicle. This is positive because it holds bad actors accountable and targets dangerous fraud schemes on our roads.
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Stricter Penalties for Injuries: Section 2(a) adds Sec. 80505(b), which punishes people with imprisonment for not less than 20 years if a staged crash results in serious bodily injury or death. This helps protect the public by severely punishing reckless actions that hurt or kill people.
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Targeting Organizers: Section 2(a) adds Sec. 80505(c), which applies fines and imprisonment to any person who arranges for someone else to stage a collision. This ensures that the masterminds behind these dangerous setups face justice, not just the drivers.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Double Jeopardy Protection Limits: Section 2(a) adds Sec. 80505(d), which states that a person cannot be prosecuted under this federal law if they were already convicted or acquitted on the merits for the same act under state, district, or territorial laws. While this prevents a person from being tried twice for the exact same crime in different courts, it means the text provides no potential negative impacts or burdens on individuals since it explicitly prevents overlapping prosecutions.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides protection for those operating commercial motor vehicles against fraudulent collisions. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill may improve road safety for residents by deterring intentional collisions involving commercial vehicles.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill protects commercial motor vehicle operators from the financial and legal risks of staged accidents.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill includes a limitation on prosecution to prevent double jeopardy for those already judged under state laws.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — The bill implements much harsher mandatory minimum sentences for specific criminal acts.
- 11/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/21/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John KennedyRepublican · Louisiana
Roger MarshallRepublican · Kansas