Criminal Justice (Sentencing)

in committee · United States · Senate Apr 30, 2026

S 4446: PRESS Act

The PRESS Act amends federal law to make it illegal to manufacture or distribute specific equipment used to produce drugs if the seller knows it will be used for unlawful importation into the United States. This legislation targets items such as tableting machines, encapsulating machines, and gelatin capsules, extending criminal liability to manufacturers and distributors involved in the supply chain for illegal drug production. Violators of these provisions face potential fines and prison sentences ranging from ten to twenty years, depending on the type of chemical involved and the quantity of equipment. Additionally, the bill requires the United States Sentencing Commission to update federal sentencing guidelines to align with these new penalties.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeThe bill strengthens criminal justice by expanding liability for drug manufacturing equipment, aiding law enforcement and reducing illegal drug supply.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing

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passed · United States · House May 13, 2026

HR 8352: Criminal History Access Act of 2026

The Criminal History Access Act expands the types of government entities that can receive criminal history records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for official use. It specifically allows the FBI to share these records with the United States Sentencing Commission, State sentencing commissions, Indian tribes, and State peace officer standards and training agencies. These State agencies are defined as those with statutory authority to set standards for law enforcement hiring, training, and ethical conduct. The bill also broadens the definition of "State" for these purposes to include U.S. territories, and requires the Attorney General to update regulations to reflect these changes within 180 days.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands access to criminal history records for sentencing commissions and training agencies, enhancing oversight and accountability in criminal justice systems.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Sentencing

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 2, 2026

S 3960: Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2026

This bill would allow federal judges more flexibility in deciding whether to keep defendants in jail before trial when they are charged with nonviolent drug crimes. It changes existing federal law by removing a specific provision that currently requires courts to consider certain factors when making pretrial detention decisions for these cases. The changes would apply to all federal criminal cases involving nonviolent drug offenses, giving judges broader authority to release defendants on bail or other conditions instead of holding them without bail. The legislation does not affect violent crimes or other types of offenses outside the scope of nonviolent drug charges.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill increases judicial discretion to release nonviolent drug defendants pretrial, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing unnecessary incarceration and supporting rehabilitation.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy Sentencing

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 2, 2026

S 3959: Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026

The Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026 reduces mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain federal drug offenses involving couriers who only transport or store drugs or money. Under the bill, couriers face reduced minimum sentences of 5 years instead of 10 years for major drug offenses, and 2 years instead of 5 years for lesser offenses, while maintaining longer sentences for repeat offenders or those with serious prior convictions. The law applies to cases sentenced after enactment and allows courts to reduce sentences for past cases upon motion. The bill also directs the Sentencing Commission to update sentencing guidelines within 120 days and requires the Attorney General to report on how cost savings from reduced sentences will be used to address prison overcrowding and improve law enforcement spending.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill reduces mandatory minimum sentences for drug couriers, representing criminal justice reform by focusing resources on serious offenders while mitigating harsh penalties for minor roles.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy Sentencing

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 18, 2026

S 4136: Sentencing Commission Improvements Act

This bill would add a second nonvoting member to the United States Sentencing Commission, bringing the total number of nonvoting members to two. The new member would be a federal public defender or community defender appointed by the Defender Services Office of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. This change would allow defense attorneys to participate in sentencing guidelines discussions without having voting power on the commission. The bill also updates the total membership count to reflect the addition of this second nonvoting position.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill adds federal defender to sentencing commission, enhancing defense representation and promoting criminal justice reform through improved representation in sentencing guidelines.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges Sentencing

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in committee · United States · House Mar 26, 2026

HR 3420: Words Matter Act of 2025

HR 3420, the Words Matter Act of 2025, updates federal law to replace the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" across numerous statutes. It amends over 20 provisions in laws governing healthcare (like the Social Security Act and Indian Health Care Improvement Act), disability services, criminal justice, and federal programs to use more respectful and current terminology. The bill specifically targets definitions in areas such as medical care for families, nursing home regulations, legal sentencing, and grant programs, ensuring consistent language for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The legislation explicitly states this terminology change is purely linguistic and does not alter eligibility, coverage, or rights for affected individuals.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly updates criminal justice terminology to 'intellectual disability', aligning with modern respect and civil rights principles in justice system language.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareUpdates healthcare statutes (Social Security Act, Indian Health Care Improvement Act) to replace outdated terms with respectful language, aligning with mental health service standards and patient dignity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing Long-Term Care Tags People with Disabilities

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in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2026

HR 5068: MORE Act

The MORE Act (HR 5068) would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing it at the federal level while establishing a new tax on cannabis products. The bill creates an Opportunity Trust Fund that would distribute tax revenues to support communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, including funding for expungement programs, job training, and equitable licensing initiatives for minority business owners. It also includes provisions to prevent discrimination based on cannabis use in federal programs, immigration proceedings, and workplace policies. The bill would require federal courts to expunge non-violent cannabis convictions and establish a process for resentencing individuals currently serving time for such offenses. These provisions aim to address racial disparities in cannabis enforcement and create more equitable opportunities in the legal cannabis industry.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new cannabis tax and allocates revenue to fund expungement, job training, and equitable licensing programs via Opportunity Trust Fund.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates expungement programs and funds community support for minority business owners impacted by cannabis prohibition, directly advancing criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Civil Rights Drug Policy Sentencing

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in committee · United States · House Feb 4, 2025

HR 920: Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act

HR 920, the *Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act*, expands the definition of illegal substances under the Controlled Substances Act to include all fentanyl-related substances and their chemical variations, such as structural modifications to the phenyl, piperidine, or aniline rings. This directly affects individuals and entities producing, distributing, or possessing these substances, including many synthetic opioids. The bill removes mandatory minimum prison sentences for offenses involving these newly classified substances. It aims to more broadly criminalize fentanyl variants by defining them through chemical structure rather than specific compounds. The law amends Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and Section 401(b)(1)(C) of the Controlled Substances Act.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl-related offenses, reducing harsh sentencing practices aligned with criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy Sentencing

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 6, 2025

S 463: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025

This bill directs $1.4 billion annually (2025-2029) to upgrade U.S. Postal Service mailboxes with high-security models and replace physical "arrow keys" with electronic locks, directly affecting postal carriers and mail collection points. It requires the Attorney General to appoint dedicated prosecutors in each judicial district to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of crimes against postal employees, including assaults or robberies. The bill also mandates the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend guidelines so that assaults or robberies against postal employees are treated with the same severity as assaults against law enforcement officers. These changes aim to enhance physical security, improve legal responses to violence, and increase penalties for attacks on postal workers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates dedicated prosecutors for crimes against postal employees and U.S. Sentencing Commission action, strengthening prosecution and sentencing for specific offenses within criminal justice system.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill strengthens workplace safety by funding security upgrades for postal carriers and establishing dedicated prosecutors to combat crimes against postal employees, directly protecting workers.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Sentencing Violent Crime

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in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2025

HR 350: Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act

HR 350, the "Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act," requires district attorneys in jurisdictions with 380,000 or more residents that receive federal Byrne grant funds to submit annual reports to the Attorney General. The reports must detail how many cases involving serious crimes - like murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and gun offenses - they referred for prosecution, declined, or resolved via plea deals, including data on repeat offenders and bail decisions. The Attorney General will establish uniform reporting standards and share the collected data with Congress and the public via a website. This bill directly affects large prosecutor offices receiving federal crime-fighting funds, aiming to increase transparency in prosecution practices for specific violent and property crimes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates transparency in prosecutorial decisions for serious crimes, enhancing accountability within criminal justice system95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Sentencing Violent Crime

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