LOOTER Act of 2025

The LOOTER Act of 2025 would create a new federal crime called “Larceny during natural disasters.” When a county in any state is under an emergency declaration issued under the Stafford Act, a person who commits petit larceny or grand larceny in that state would face federal penalties. Specifically, if the theft is classified as petit larceny under the state’s law, the offender could be fined under federal law, imprisoned for up to 1 year, or both. If the theft is classified as grand larceny under the state’s law, the offender could be fined and imprisoned for up to 5 years, or both. The bill uses the state’s definitions of petit and grand larceny for labeling the offense but applies federal penalties. It also would add an entry to the federal code’s table of sections to reflect this new provision. The bill is titled the Law On Offender Transgressions during Emergencies and Recovery Act of 2025 (LOOTER Act). Introduced in the House on May 23, 2025, by Rep. Panetta (with Reps. Bean of Florida and Nehls as co-sponsors), the measure targets looting and theft during disaster responses by creating a uniform federal consequence for such crimes when emergencies are in effect.