BAD Act

This legislation, titled the Bribery Accountability and Discovery Act, seeks to amend section 3282 of title 18, United States Code, by adding a new subsection to address the statute of limitations for specific federal offenses. The primary goal is to extend the period during which charges can be brought for certain crimes involving public officials or federal funds.

Under the proposed amendment, for offenses related to bribery of public officials and witnesses (section 201) or theft or bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds (section 666), the statute of limitations would no longer begin at the time the crime is committed. Instead, the period of limitations will only commence once the offense is either discovered by, or reported to, a Federal law enforcement agency. This significant change aims to enhance accountability and facilitate the prosecution of complex corruption and financial crimes that may not be immediately apparent.