Criminal Justice

in committee · United States · House Jan 3, 2025

HR 129: Abolish the ATF Act

This bill, HR 129 (Abolish the ATF Act), directly abolishes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a federal agency responsible for regulating firearms, explosives, and tobacco products. The key provision is a simple, explicit mandate to end the ATF's existence as a government entity. This procedural bill does not specify what would replace the ATF's functions or how regulatory responsibilities would be handled, focusing solely on eliminating the agency itself. The bill affects the federal government structure by removing a specific regulatory body.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAbolishes ATF, a federal agency regulating firearms and explosives, removing oversight of firearm regulations directly weakening criminal justice enforcement oversight.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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

in committee · United States · House Jul 21, 2025

HR 4571: Combating Online Fentanyl Trafficking Act

HR 4571, the Combating Online Fentanyl Trafficking Act, authorizes up to 25% additional pay for Department of Justice employees with specialized computer expertise who work on fentanyl trafficking cases. It directly affects DOJ staff in roles requiring significant cyber skills to detect, prevent, or prosecute online fentanyl trafficking. The bill establishes a new incentive pay program, with special accounting rules ensuring this bonus doesn't count toward standard pay limits or retirement calculations. This is a funding mechanism for existing DOJ personnel, not a new law targeting fentanyl users or distributors.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds specialized DOJ staff for fentanyl trafficking enforcement, directly strengthening law enforcement capacity within criminal justice framework.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds DOJ cybersecurity roles for fentanyl trafficking cases, directly enhancing law enforcement cyber capabilities per bill's purpose.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

Track

in committee · United States · House Aug 12, 2025

HR 4963: Marijuana 1-to-3 Act of 2025

This bill reschedules marijuana from the most restrictive Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law. It requires the Attorney General to issue an order effecting this change within 60 days of the bill's enactment. This classification shift would make marijuana less restricted federally, affecting all federal regulations and penalties related to the substance. The change directly impacts federal enforcement, research, and medical access policies for marijuana nationwide.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to III reduces federal criminal penalties, aligns with drug policy reform, and decreases unnecessary incarceration in criminal justice system.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRescheduling marijuana to Schedule III directly improves medical access and research, removing federal barriers for healthcare applications of marijuana.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 14, 2025

HR 394: Holding Child Predators Accountable Act

HR 394, the "Holding Child Predators Accountable Act," amends federal laws to impose mandatory death or life imprisonment for certain child pornography offenses. It changes penalties under Title 18 for possession (Section 1466A), exploitation (Section 2252), and distribution (Section 2252A) of child sexual abuse material, replacing prior penalty structures with the maximum sentence. This directly affects individuals convicted of violating these specific provisions, including those involving possession, distribution, or production of such material. The bill makes no new offenses but mandates the harshest possible penalties for existing violations under these sections.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates death or life imprisonment for child porn offenses, replacing prior penalties with maximum sentences, increasing mandatory penalties without rehabilitation focus.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

Track

passed · United States · House Jan 24, 2025

HR 21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

HR 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, requires medical staff at abortion facilities to provide the same immediate care and hospital admission to any infant born alive during an abortion as they would for any newborn. It mandates reporting failures to provide this care to law enforcement and imposes penalties of up to 5 years in prison for violations, with harsher penalties for intentional killing. The bill also allows women who undergo abortions to sue for civil damages, including triple the abortion cost, and provides for attorney fees. It defines "abortion" to exclude procedures performed after viability to preserve a live birth. This law directly affects healthcare providers at abortion facilities and creates new federal legal obligations for them.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill imposes criminal penalties (up to 5 years) for abortion facility staff failing to provide care, expanding criminalization in abortion context.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

Track

in committee · United States · House Jun 17, 2025

HR 4031: Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act

This bill authorizes $88 million annually (2025-2029) for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, targeting 13 Caribbean nations including Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. It focuses on countering transnational crime, strengthening local law enforcement and justice systems, and building community safety programs - particularly for at-risk youth - while monitoring security assistance from authoritarian regimes like China and Russia. Key mechanisms include funding maritime interdiction equipment, anti-corruption training for prosecutors, disaster resilience planning, and cross-border police cooperation. The initiative requires annual progress reports to Congress and mandates coordination between U.S. agencies to avoid duplication of efforts.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly funds strengthening Caribbean law enforcement and justice systems, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators like system improvement and community safety programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

Track