HR 5585 United States House · 118th Congress

Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act

HR 5585, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, creates new criminal penalties for individuals fleeing U.S. Border Patrol officers or assisting officers while operating a motor vehicle within 100 miles of the U.S. border. It imposes prison terms of up to 2 years for basic offenses, 5-20 years if serious injury occurs, and 10 years to life if death results. People unlawfully in the U.S. who commit this offense become permanently ineligible for any legal status, including asylum. The bill also requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress on prosecutions and penalties related to this new offense.

Sub-Topics: Corrections Border Security Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Sep 2023

Committee Review

Jan 2024

House Passage

Jan 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Sep 20, 2023 Last action Jan 31, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 5 edits · Jan 30, 2024

MODERATE

The engrossed version broadens immigration consequences from applying only to people unlawfully present in the U.S. to any alien convicted of or admitting the offense, adds a new deportability ground, and significantly expands the annual reporting requirement to include data on those apprehended but not charged and those who committed the violation but were never apprehended. A minor terminology fix changes 'Border Patrol officer' to 'Border Patrol agent.'

ELIGIBILITY

Immigration consequences now apply to any alien convicted of or admitting the offense, rather than only those 'unlawfully present in the United States' as in the introduced version. This broadens who is affected.

REQUIREMENT

A new deportability ground (INA 237(a)(2)(G)) was added, making any alien convicted of or admitting the offense subject to removal from the U.S., which did not exist in the introduced version.

SCOPE

The ineligibility provision was restructured from a single blanket bar on 'any legal status' into a specific new section (208A) covering ineligibility for relief under immigration laws including asylum, and a separate inadmissibility ground (INA 212(a)(2)(J)) was added.

ENFORCEMENT

The annual report now requires the Attorney General to work 'in conjunction with the Secretary of Homeland Security' and must track not just charges but also the number of people who committed the violation, were apprehended but not charged, and were never apprehended at all.

TECHNICAL

Changed 'U.S. Border Patrol officer' to 'U.S. Border Patrol agent,' which is the correct official title for Border Patrol personnel.

Floor votes · House Jan 30, 2024

How they voted

271–154

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 432

Jan 30, 2024

D Democratic213

56 Yea 154 Nay 3

72% Nay

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican218

214 Yea 4

98% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jan 31, 2024

Committee

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

upper

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 271 - 154 (Roll no. 25).

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 271 - 154 (Roll no. 25).

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

The House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 5585.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 5585 as unfinished business.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

On motion that the committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

Mr. McClintock moved that the committee rise.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 980, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Molinaro amendment No. 2.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Introduced

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Crockett amendment No. 1, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Crockett demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 980, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Crockett amendment No. 1.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 5585.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

The Speaker designated the Honorable Mike Flood to act as Chairman of the Committee.

lower

Jan 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 980 and Rule XVIII.

lower

Jan 29, 2024

Lower · Passed

Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 980 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5585, H.R. 6678, H.R. 6679 and H.R. 6976. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 5585, H.R. 6678, H.R. 6679, and H.R. 6976 under a structured rule. Rule provides for one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each measure.

lower

Jan 25, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 118-359.

lower

Jan 18, 2024

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 14 - 10.

lower

Jan 18, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Sep 20, 2023

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

lower

Sep 20, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 19 co-sponsors