HR 2944 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015

Introduced Jun 25, 2015 Originated House Sponsor F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. R-WI

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jul 9, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJun 25, 2015
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Sensenbrenner-Scott Over-Criminalization Task Force Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015 or the Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015

This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to: (1) compile and publish federal law violations with criminal penalties, (2) reduce over-federalization of criminal conduct and over-incarceration due to pretrial detention, (3) create a online complaint process to challenge prosecutions and (4) create training and best practices for prosecutors and law enforcement officers that reduce the inaccuracy and unreliability of evidence in criminal cases.

It prohibits sentencing courts from considering defendant's acquitted conduct and grants discretion to disregard manipulated conduct involving the Controlled Substances Act.

It reauthorizes the Innocence Protection Act of 2001 for FY2016-FY2021.

The bill expands pre-judgment probation, safety valve, and compassionate release eligibility.

It creates problem-solving courts, establishes a presumption of probation for certain non-violent first-time offenders, and limits prior drug offenses that trigger enhanced mandatory minimum prison terms.

It limits application of drug offense mandatory minimums to drug trafficking organization leaders, organizers, or employees. (Drug offenses include unlawful import, export, manufacture, or distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.)

It also reduces from life to 35 years the maximum mandatory minimum for certain drug offenses.

The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 applies retroactively to permit resentencing of a convicted crack cocaine offender sentenced before August 3, 2010.

DOJ must develop a post-sentencing risk and needs assessment system.

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must provide residential substance abuse treatment to all eligible offenders.

The bill establishes a standardized graduated sanctioning system for supervised release or probation violations. It eliminates mandatory revocation for certain minor violations and creates a performance-incentive funding program for judicial districts.

BOP may grant 54 days of good time credit regardless of satisfactory GED progress. Probation officers may award positive reinforcement (e.g. discharge credits) for compliance with terms of supervision.

The bill adds one non-voting, public defender member to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Cosponsors 61

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 25, 2015 to Sep 12, 2016; 21 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-TXBlake FarentholdOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-LACedric L. RichmondOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-AKDon YoungOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-GADoug CollinsOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-VAE. Scott RigellOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-MDElijah E. CummingsOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-NYHakeem S. JeffriesOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-GAHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.OriginalJun 25, 2015
R-TXJoe BartonOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-CAJudy ChuOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-CAKaren BassOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-ILLuis V. GutierrezOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-UTMia B. LoveOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-MIMike BishopOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-IDRaul R. LabradorOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-VARobert C. "Bobby" ScottOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-TNSteve CohenOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-FLTed S. YohoOriginalJun 25, 2015
R-CATom McClintockOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-CATony CárdenasOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-CAZoe LofgrenOriginalJun 25, 2015
D-MDChris Van HollenJul 9, 2015
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.Jul 9, 2015
D-PRPedro R. PierluisiJul 9, 2015
R-WIReid J. RibbleJul 9, 2015
R-OHDavid P. JoyceJul 13, 2015
D-NCG. K. ButterfieldJul 13, 2015
D-NYJose E. SerranoJul 13, 2015
R-ILRodney DavisJul 13, 2015
D-PAChaka FattahJul 15, 2015
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyJul 15, 2015
R-PAMichael G. FitzpatrickJul 15, 2015
R-TXPete OlsonJul 15, 2015
D-NJBonnie Watson ColemanJul 21, 2015
R-FLCarlos CurbeloJul 21, 2015
R-NHFrank C. GuintaJul 28, 2015
D-NYLouise McIntosh SlaughterJul 28, 2015
D-NYCharles B. RangelJul 29, 2015
R-NCWalter B. JonesJul 29, 2015
R-MEBruce PoliquinSep 28, 2015
D-WAAdam SmithSep 30, 2015
R-FLAnder CrenshawSep 30, 2015
D-CTElizabeth H. EstySep 30, 2015
R-INLarry BucshonSep 30, 2015
D-CATed LieuSep 30, 2015
D-COJared PolisOct 1, 2015
D-NYJerrold NadlerOct 1, 2015
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamOct 1, 2015
R-NYRichard L. HannaOct 1, 2015
R-WIGlenn GrothmanOct 9, 2015
D-WIGwen MooreOct 9, 2015
D-OHJoyce BeattyOct 9, 2015
R-OHSteve ChabotOct 9, 2015
R-ILRobert J. DoldOct 21, 2015
D-HITulsi GabbardOct 21, 2015
D-ILTammy DuckworthNov 2, 2015
R-KYThomas MassieNov 2, 2015
D-NYGrace MengJul 14, 2016
R-NJScott GarrettJul 14, 2016
D-OREarl BlumenauerSep 12, 2016
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenSep 12, 2016

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Jun 25, 2015
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Referred Jul 9, 2015
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Jun 25, 2015
Health Subcommittee
Referred Jun 26, 2015

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jul 9, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
  2. Jun 26, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  3. Jun 25, 2015Introduced in House
  4. Jun 25, 2015Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

In the Congressional Record 4

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H2419, H2421Joyce Beatty D-OH, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott D-VAMay 16, 2016
HouseDebate and remarks H8439Robert C. "Bobby" Scott D-VA, Robin L. Kelly D-ILNov 30, 2015
HouseDebate and remarks H7380–H7383Marcia L. Fudge D-OH, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott D-VA, Robin L. Kelly D-ILNov 2, 2015
HouseDebate and remarks H5288Michael G. Fitzpatrick R-PAJul 16, 2015

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 103, June 25, 2015, page H4773.

CRS reports 1

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 1

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R44246Sentencing Reform: Comparison of Selected Proposals ArchivedReportOct 26, 2015

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 1251To amend title 28, United States Code, to add a Federal defender representative as a nonvoting member of the United States Sentencing Commission, and for other purposes.Related billMar 31, 2015

Titles 3

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To improve public safety, accountability, transparency, and respect for federalism in Federal criminal law by applying the findings of the bipartisan Over-Criminalization Task Force and evidence-based reforms already made by some States, and reinvesting the resulting savings from doing so in additional evidence-based criminal justice strategies that are proven to reduce recidivism and crime, and the burden of the criminal justice system on the taxpayer.
Short Titles as Introduced
Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015
Sensenbrenner-Scott Over-Criminalization Task Force Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jun 25, 2015Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.