Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025
The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025 would create a new federal crime in Title 49 (chapter 805) that makes it illegal to intentionally cause or arrange a collision between a motor vehicle and a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). The offense covers both drivers who cause a collision and people who organize someone else to cause one. Penalties are set in two tiers: for a general staging, the offender faces a fine, up to 20 years in prison, or both; if the collision results in serious bodily injury or death, the penalty includes a minimum of 20 years in prison (and a fine or other penalties as allowed under federal law). The act also provides a prohibition on prosecuting the same act under federal law if the person has already been convicted or acquitted for the same act under state, DC, or territory law (a double-jeopardy safeguard). A clerical amendment adds the new section to the index for Title 49. The bill’s short title is the “Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025.”
Key Points
- 1Creates a new federal offense, Sec. 80505, prohibiting the intentional staging of motor-vehicle collisions with commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) or arranging for another person to cause such a collision (as defined in the law’s CMV term in section 31101).
- 2Penalties:
- 3- General staging: fine under Title 18, up to 20 years in prison, or both.
- 4- Staging that causes serious bodily injury or death: not less than 20 years in prison, or both, with possible fines under Title 18.
- 5Prosecution limitation: a person cannot be prosecuted under this new section if they have been convicted or acquitted on the merits for the same act under state law, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory or possession.
- 6Clerical amendment: adds 80505 to the list of sections in the analysis for Chapter 805, ensuring proper indexing.
- 7Short title: The act is officially cited as the “Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025.”