FILE - U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., speaks during an organizing event on Oct. 29, 2022, in Portsmouth, N.H. Pappas and Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt met in Manchester, N.H., for their final debate on Thursday, Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)

WASHINGTON – As Granite Staters eagerly await the delivery of gifts for friends and loved ones at the peak of holiday shopping season, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) is pushing Congress to pass the Porch Pirates Act of 2024 which would increase penalties for package theft and safeguard millions of dollars that New Hampshire residents lose each year to so-called “porch pirates.”

Porch pirates stole 115 million packages in 2023, costing Americans an estimated $9 billion. A report last year by Forbes Homes ranked New Hampshire as the top state for packages being stolen from personal property – like a porch or driveway.

Pappas supports the Porch Pirates Act of 2024, which would put in place the same penalties for the theft of packages from private carriers like FedEx and UPS that apply to the theft of United States Postal Service mail.

“As we enter the height of the holiday gift-giving season and Granite Staters are receiving deliveries for gifts for their friends and loved ones, package theft remains a significant concern,” said Congressman Pappas, a member of the House Small Business Committee. “Last year, 115 million packages were stolen, costing families and businesses billions of dollars. To combat the rise in porch piracy, this bipartisan legislation will put in place the same federal penalties, whether a package was delivered by a private carrier or the U.S. Postal Service, and allow us to deter theft and help hold those responsible accountable. I urge Congress to take up and pass this common-sense legislation.”

Pappas’s office also recommends consulting guidance published by the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau on how to safeguard gifts and other packages from theft, including requiring a signature, setting up delivery notifications, and giving specific delivery instructions to the carrier.