HR 8205 United States House · 118th Congress

Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act

The Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act requires states and tribes to create a public safety report system for defendants charged with specific violent crimes, including murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, robbery, and firearm offenses. The system provides judges and prosecutors with free, detailed reports containing criminal history, bail eligibility, and offense-specific criteria within 48 hours of arrest. Prosecutors must deliver these reports to courts before bail decisions, and courts must consider them when setting bail for these defendants. The reports are also submitted to the National Crime Information Center, and the bill additionally amends federal law to include bail bonds in fraud-related provisions.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics: Firearms Victims' Rights Violent Crime

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2024

Committee Review

Nov 2024

House Passage

Sep 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced May 1, 2024 Last action Nov 12, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 4 edits · Sep 25, 2024

MODERATE

The Engrossed version removes the entire Section 2, which would have required states and tribal courts to develop public safety report systems for violent offenders facing bail decisions. This was a major provision mandating standardized reports on criminal history, bond eligibility, and bail criteria to be submitted to courts within 48 hours of arrest and forwarded to the National Crime Information Center. The remaining bill now only addresses fraud in connection with posting bail.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly narrowed. It previously covered both a state/tribal court reporting mandate for violent offender bail proceedings and a federal fraud amendment related to bail posting. It now covers only the fraud amendment, removing all provisions directed at state and tribal courts.

REQUIREMENT

Removed a requirement that states and tribal court administrations develop and maintain public safety report systems for defendants charged with violent felonies (murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, etc.). The system would have included bail criteria, defendant identifying information, bond eligibility, applicable bond conditions, and criminal history summaries.

TIMELINE

Removed the requirement that prosecutors prepare and submit public safety reports to courts within 48 hours of a defendant's arrest for violent felony charges.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the requirement that each public safety report be submitted to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

TECHNICAL

Renumbered former Section 3 (Fraud in connection with posting bail) as new Section 2, since the removed section eliminated the need for the original numbering. The substance of the fraud provision is unchanged.

Floor votes · House Sep 25, 2024

How they voted

255–161

Passed · 16 other

Total votes 432

Sep 25, 2024

D Democratic212

44 Yea 161 Nay 7

75% Nay

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican219

210 Yea 9

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Nov 12, 2024

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

upper

Sep 25, 2024

Lower · Passed

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 255 - 161 (Roll no. 454). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H5772)

lower

Sep 25, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 255 - 161 (Roll no. 454). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H5772)

lower

Sep 25, 2024

Lower · Passed

Mr. Cardenas moved to recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary. (CR H5775-5776)

lower

Sep 23, 2024

Lower · Passed

Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1486 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3334, H.R. 8205, H.R. 8790 and H. Res. 1469. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 3334 and H.R. 8790 under a structured rule and H.R. 8205 and H. Res. 1469 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on each measure with one motion to recommit on H.R. 3334, H.R. 8790, and H.R. 8205.

lower

Sep 23, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 118-704.

lower

Sep 19, 2024

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 14 - 9.

lower

Sep 19, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

May 1, 2024

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

lower

May 1, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors