Criminal Justice

in committee · United States · Senate Jun 26, 2025

S 2192: Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act

This bill prohibits federal agencies from entering contracts with firearm dealers who have been linked to crime through gun tracing. Specifically, dealers with 25 or more firearms traced to crimes within 2 of the last 3 years (as tracked by the ATF) are listed annually and barred from federal contracts for three years. Federal agencies must avoid such contracts, though the Defense or Homeland Security secretaries may request limited national security waivers, which require immediate congressional notification. The law aims to restrict federal spending with dealers frequently involved in crime-linked firearms, without altering gun ownership laws.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill restricts federal contracts with firearm dealers linked to crime, aiming to reduce gun violence and improve public safety - key criminal justice goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 25, 2025

S 1101: SHARE Act of 2025

The SHARE Act of 2025 updates federal rules for sharing criminal background check data used in professional licensing. It requires the FBI to provide criminal history record information to state licensing authorities for background checks when states are part of an interstate compact. States must use this data solely for licensing decisions and cannot share the full records with other states, commissions, or the public. Instead, they may only share a binary result (e.g., "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory") regarding the background check. This directly affects state licensing boards and professionals seeking licenses across participating states.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts full criminal record sharing for licensing, promoting fair employment access and reducing reentry barriers - aligns with criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts sharing of full criminal records, requiring only binary results to protect data privacy in background checks.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Tags Licensing

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in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2026

HR 7490: Tribal Warrant Fairness Act

The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act updates federal law to ensure Indian tribes have equal standing with local and state governments in specific law enforcement contexts. It amends the U.S. Marshals Service statute to explicitly include "Tribal fugitive matters" when requested by an Indian Tribe, and revises the Presidential Threat Protection Act to add "Indian Tribes" and "Tribal law" to relevant provisions. These changes directly affect tribal governments by requiring federal agencies to recognize tribal requests and jurisdiction in warrant-related matters and threat protection. The bill makes no new policy but clarifies existing federal procedures to include tribal authorities on par with local and state entities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnsures tribal governments equal standing in law enforcement, aligning with tribal sovereignty and improving federal-tribal coordination in criminal justice contexts.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Tags Tribal Nations

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 9, 2026

S 2544: GUARD Act

The GUARD Act allows state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to use existing federal grant funds to investigate elder financial fraud (targeting elderly or disabled individuals), "pig butchering" scams (where victims are tricked into investing in fake crypto schemes), and general financial fraud. It requires agencies to hire specialized staff, use technology tools for tracking scams, and report annually on how funds were used and their impact on fraud statistics. The bill also mandates two key federal reports: one to Congress on scam trends and enforcement actions, and another detailing annual consumer losses and government spending on fraud prevention. These provisions aim to improve coordination between law enforcement, financial institutions, and federal agencies to combat evolving fraud schemes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allows use of existing federal grant funds to combat fraud, promoting fiscal responsibility and protecting vulnerable populations without imposing new taxes or cutting services.85% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allocates federal grant funds for specialized investigation of elder financial fraud and scams, strengthening law enforcement's capacity in criminal justice.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates use of technology tools for tracking scams, enhancing cybersecurity efforts against financial fraud including crypto-related schemes.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · United States · Senate Jun 4, 2025

S 1955: Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act

This bill repeals key protections in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that shielded gun manufacturers from civil lawsuits. It allows victims of gun violence to use federal gun trace data (from the Firearms Trace System database) as evidence in civil court cases against gun sellers or manufacturers. The law makes this trace information discoverable, admissible, and usable in any civil action in state or federal courts, including the District of Columbia. This change directly affects victims seeking legal recourse and gun industry entities previously protected by the repealed law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRepeals protections shielding gun manufacturers, allowing victims to use trace data in civil cases against them, enhancing victim access to justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Firearms

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in committee · United States · Senate Apr 3, 2025

S 1283: Innovate to De-Escalate Modernization Act

This bill amends federal law to clarify that certain less-than-lethal projectile devices are exempt from firearm restrictions under Title 18. It defines these devices as those not firing standard ammunition, operating below 500 ft/s velocity, unlikely to cause serious injury, and incompatible with common firearm magazines. The law directly affects manufacturers and users of such devices by establishing a clear legal standard for their classification. It also requires the Attorney General to review device requests within 90 days to confirm compliance with the new definition.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies legal status of less-lethal devices to promote de-escalation in law enforcement, aligning with accountability reforms.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 10, 2025

S 916: Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act

S 916 prohibits the detention of pregnant, lactating, or postpartum noncitizens in immigration custody, requiring their immediate release except in rare cases involving credible safety threats. It bans all physical restraints during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery, with strict limits on exceptions. The bill mandates access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including prenatal care, labor services, and postpartum support, while requiring facilities to provide medical consent and maintain detailed reporting on detention practices. These provisions apply directly to noncitizens held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits shackling/detention of pregnant immigrants in custody, mandates reproductive healthcare access - directly advances criminal justice reform by protecting vulnerable populations and enhancing rights within correctional systems.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates comprehensive reproductive healthcare access (prenatal, labor, postpartum) for detained pregnant women, protecting patient rights during critical health periods.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits detaining pregnant immigrants, bans restraints, mandates reproductive healthcare - directly protects vulnerable immigrant rights in custody.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Substance Abuse Women's Health Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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in committee · United States · House Jun 3, 2025

HR 3683: FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act of 2025

The FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act of 2025 establishes a dedicated FBI unit to investigate federal animal cruelty crimes, specifically targeting dogfighting, cockfighting, and "crush videos." This taskforce will create training materials for local law enforcement to help them detect and investigate these offenses. It also requires the taskforce to coordinate with agencies like the Department of Agriculture and U.S. Customs, and to submit annual reports to Congress detailing filed charges, convictions, and unresolved investigations. The bill directly affects local police departments through new training resources and federal agencies through mandated coordination and reporting.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates FBI unit for animal cruelty investigations, strengthening law enforcement capabilities in criminal justice enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 11, 2025

S 937: No Student Loans for Campus Criminals Act

No Student Loans for Campus Criminals Act This bill prohibits an individual who is convicted of any federal or state offense related to the individual's conduct at or during the course of a protest at an institution of higher education from receiving certain federal student loan benefits. Specifically, an individual who is convicted of such an offense shall not be eligible to have any covered loan forgiven, cancelled, waived, or modified under the Higher Education Act of 1965, under any executive order, or through any action taken by the Department of Education.  Covered loans refer to Federal Family Education Loans, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and loans under the Health Education Assistance Loan Program. Additionally, an individual who is convicted of such an offense shall not be eligible to receive Federal Direct Loans.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeDenies student loan benefits for protest-related convictions, restricting post-conviction rights and opposing rehabilitation-focused reforms.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts federal student loan benefits for protesters at higher ed institutions, limiting educational access for a specific group under the Higher Education Act.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Apr 30, 2025

HR 3111: Fresh Start Act of 2025

This bill establishes federal standards for state laws that automatically remove certain criminal records from public access without requiring individuals to pay fees or take action. It defines "covered expungement laws" as state programs that automatically seal records (with limited exceptions) and mandates states receiving federal grants to annually report expungement data broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender. The law requires states to track how many eligible individuals have their records cleared, are pending, or remain ineligible. It directly affects states that implement automatic expungement systems and the individuals whose records qualify for removal under these laws.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enables automatic expungement of records without fees, reduces barriers for individuals, and mandates demographic data reporting to address disparities in criminal justice outcomes.95% confidence

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