Criminal Justice

in committee · United States · House Jun 30, 2025

HR 4251: Protecting Americans from Reckless Gun Dealers Act of 2025

HR 4251, the *Protecting Americans from Reckless Gun Dealers Act of 2025*, requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress detailing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) license inspections and enforcement actions against gun dealers. The reports must include monthly inspection counts, serious violations (like refusing inspections or straw sales), license revocations or surrenders, and reasons for not revoking licenses. It also mandates a GAO study evaluating ATF’s enforcement of firearm dealer licensing, focusing on systemic failures, geographic disparities, and revocation timelines. This bill directly affects gun dealers (licensees) and ATF operations by increasing transparency and accountability in license oversight.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates ATF inspection reporting and GAO study to strengthen gun dealer oversight, enhancing law enforcement accountability in criminal justice enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

Track

in committee · United States · House Jul 25, 2025

HR 4769: Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2025

The Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2025 authorizes federal grants to fund structured mentoring programs for children in foster care (under 18) and youth with foster care experience (up to age 26). It requires grantees to provide trained mentors (adult or peer), ensure cultural competence, conduct background checks, and match mentors with mentees for at least one year to support academic, social, and emotional needs. Programs must prioritize input from youth, recruit diverse mentors reflecting foster youth demographics, and coordinate with child welfare and education systems. The bill allocates $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2027, mandating annual reports on program reach, mentor demographics, and outcomes like school attendance and college enrollment. This directly affects over 390,000 foster youth annually by expanding access to evidence-based mentoring.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes federal grants to fund foster youth mentoring programs, directly allocating public funds for essential services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMentoring programs for foster youth reduce recidivism risk, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of prevention and rehabilitation.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill authorizes federal grants for mentoring programs addressing academic needs of foster youth, directly enhancing educational access and outcomes for a vulnerable group within the education system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Tags Children

Track

in committee · United States · House Jul 22, 2025

HR 4612: Inspector General Access Act of 2025

This bill amends a provision of U.S. law (5 U.S. Code § 413) to remove a specific exception that previously limited Inspector General (IG) investigations of Department of Justice (DOJ) personnel. It eliminates language requiring DOJ to restrict IG probes into allegations described under a certain subsection (previously referenced as "(b)(3)"). The change directly affects DOJ staff and IGs conducting investigations, streamlining the process by removing this procedural barrier. The bill makes a technical adjustment to existing law without creating new programs or altering substantive policy.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves barrier to IG investigations of DOJ staff, enhancing oversight and accountability in law enforcement, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Jan 29, 2025

S 299: Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2025

The Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2025 creates a federal grant program to fund structured mentoring initiatives for eligible youth. It authorizes competitive grants to community-based organizations and partnerships that provide mentoring programs designed to help youth develop cognitive and social-emotional skills, prepare for high school success, and transition to postsecondary education or employment. Programs must serve youth from underserved communities, include trauma-informed mentor training, coordinate with local schools and employers, and report annually on outcomes like academic achievement, employment, and social-emotional development. The bill also requires a study on effective mentoring practices to inform future program design.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds mentoring programs for at-risk youth to prevent justice system involvement, aligning with reform goals of reducing recidivism through early intervention and trauma-informed support.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates federal grants for mentoring programs targeting underserved youth to develop skills, prepare for high school/postsecondary success, and improve educational access through funding.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds mentoring programs to help youth transition to employment, supporting workforce development and job readiness for underserved communities.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice K-12 Education

Track

in committee · United States · House Aug 22, 2025

HR 5018: Naomi Schwartz and Susan Rose Safe Parking Act of 2025

HR 5018, the Naomi Schwartz and Susan Rose Safe Parking Act of 2025, adds "safe parking" as an eligible activity under the federal Emergency Solutions Grant Program. It directly affects homeless individuals living in vehicles, including motor homes, by making funding available for programs that provide them with safe overnight parking and supportive services to transition to stable housing. The bill defines "safe parking" as activities offering a secure place to park vehicles overnight while connecting residents to re-housing support. This change allows communities to use federal grants to establish and operate such parking programs, which were previously ineligible under the program's rules.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProvides safe parking/services for homeless individuals in vehicles, reducing criminalization of homelessness and aligning with criminal justice reform goals to prevent recidivism through housing stability.80% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill funds safe parking programs to transition homeless individuals to stable housing, directly addressing homelessness and advancing housing stability.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Homelessness

Track

in committee · United States · House Jun 17, 2025

HR 4030: Treatment Continuity Act of 2025

This bill updates federal grant programs to expand access to long-acting injectable medications, lab testing, and counseling for people with substance use disorders or serious mental illness. It requires grant recipients (state/local health agencies) to provide these specific services and train clinicians on medication use. The changes apply to new grants starting after the bill's enactment. Annual reports on program outcomes must also be submitted to Congress.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands substance use/mental health treatment access, reducing recidivism and aligning with criminal justice reform goals like rehabilitation programs.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to mental health/substance use disorder services via federal grants requiring specific care and clinician training for covered conditions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse

Track

passed · United States · Senate Dec 17, 2025

S 1049: Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2025

This bill directs the Department of Justice and Administration for Children and Families to continue implementing specific anti-trafficking recommendations from a 2023 Government Accountability Office report. It requires these agencies to collaborate using established best practices to develop prevention strategies for child trafficking and set clear, measurable goals for their programs. The bill mandates that agencies use existing data from grantees to establish these goals and submit a detailed report to Congress within 180 days of enactment. The primary effect is on federal agencies managing child trafficking programs and the survivors they serve, focusing on improving program effectiveness through structured goals and reporting.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates DOJ/HHS to implement anti-trafficking strategies using GAO recommendations, advancing prevention within criminal justice framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Oct 30, 2025

S 3085: Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act of 2025

This bill ensures that critical firearm-related operations continue during government shutdowns by designating them as "excepted" under federal law. It specifically covers the FBI's background check system (NICS), ATF enforcement programs, Commerce Department firearm export licensing, and State Department defense trade controls. These functions would remain operational even if most government services halt, directly affecting firearm background checks and export licensing processes. The policy change prevents temporary disruptions to gun sales and international firearm transactions during shutdowns.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnsures NICS background checks remain operational during shutdowns, maintaining a critical firearm safety measure in criminal justice enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Jun 12, 2025

S 2050: ASSIST Act

The ASSIST Act (S 2050) increases federal funding for mental health and substance use disorder services provided in schools and school-based health centers. It raises the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for these services to 90% for states, starting one year after enactment, while ensuring this doesn’t reduce existing federal payments or count against territorial spending limits. The bill also creates a new grant program administered by the Health and Human Services Secretary to fund entities like school districts and universities in hiring more licensed mental health providers, requiring culturally competent care and annual reporting on provider numbers and service effectiveness. It prohibits using grant funds for threat assessment teams and mandates a report to Congress on the program’s effectiveness within 18 months.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases federal funding for mental health services by raising FMAP to 90%, directly advancing public service funding under Budget & Taxes.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunding school-based mental health services addresses root causes of criminal behavior, aligning with reform goals to reduce recidivism and improve rehabilitation programs.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases federal funding for school-based mental health services, directly enhancing student well-being and educational access within K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases federal funding for school-based mental health/substance use services via 90% FMAP and new grants, directly advancing mental health access as per healthcare topic indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Testing & Assessment Medicaid Mental Health Substance Abuse

Track

in committee · United States · House Aug 5, 2025

HR 4883: Local Gun Violence Reduction Act

HR 4883, the Local Gun Violence Reduction Act, creates a federal database managed by the CDC to collect and share information about local gun violence prevention laws. It requires cities, counties, and other local governments to submit data on their enacted laws - including dates, government size, and pre- and post-enactment gun violence statistics - to the database within one year of the bill's passage. The searchable database will allow all local governments to access this information, and the CDC must report to Congress every two years on participation, successful laws, and geographic trends. The bill authorizes $1.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1 million annually thereafter to fund this effort.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates CDC database for sharing local gun violence prevention data, enabling evidence-based policy improvements in criminal justice reform90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

Track