SMART Cocaine Sentencing Act

S 522, the SMART Cocaine Sentencing Act, reduces the weight thresholds triggering mandatory minimum sentences for cocaine offenses. It lowers the amount required to trigger penalties from 5 kilograms to 4 kilograms for powder cocaine (and from 280 grams to 1,600 grams for crack cocaine) under federal law. The bill also requires the Attorney General to certify whether defendants sentenced before enactment should have their sentences reduced under the new thresholds, considering factors like rehabilitation. Additionally, it mandates federal agencies to submit research reports within one year on cocaine dosage, lethality, addiction, and sentencing trends. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of federal cocaine offenses, particularly those facing sentencing under current weight-based minimums.