Debbie Smith Act of 2023
Latest action · Jul 30, 2024 Became Public Law No: 118-72.
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.
- IntroducedFeb 17, 2023
- Passed HouseNov 13, 2023
- Passed SenateJul 11, 2024
- To the PresidentJul 25, 2024
- Became lawJul 30, 2024Public Law 118-72
Summary
Debbie Smith Act of 2023
This act reauthorizes through FY2029 the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. The program provides grants to state and local governments to improve and expand the collection and analysis of DNA evidence, including evidence in sexual assault kits.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 643 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed405–0 | Nov 13, 2023 |
Cosponsors 85
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 17, 2023 to Sep 20, 2023; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-VA | Ben Cline | Original | Feb 17, 2023 |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Original | Feb 17, 2023 |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Original | Feb 17, 2023 |
| R-TX | Wesley Hunt | Original | Feb 17, 2023 |
| D-GA | Lucy McBath | Mar 7, 2023 | |
| R-FL | Matt Gaetz | Mar 7, 2023 | |
| R-NE | Don Bacon | Mar 9, 2023 | |
| R-PR | Jenniffer González-Colón | Mar 10, 2023 | |
| D-HI | Jill N. Tokuda | Mar 10, 2023 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Mar 14, 2023 | |
| R-NY | Anthony D'Esposito | Mar 17, 2023 | |
| D-NH | Chris Pappas | Mar 17, 2023 | |
| R-NY | Andrew R. Garbarino | Mar 21, 2023 | |
| D-NY | Jerrold Nadler | Mar 21, 2023 | |
| R-IA | Zachary Nunn | Mar 21, 2023 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Feb 17, 2023Markup Sep 28, 2023Reported Oct 25, 2023 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 30, 2024Signed by President.
- Jul 30, 2024Became Public Law No: 118-72.
- Jul 25, 2024Presented to President.
- Jul 12, 2024Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 11, 2024Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5147)
- Nov 14, 2023Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 246.
- Nov 13, 2023Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Nov 13, 2023Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5677-5679)
- Nov 13, 2023DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1105.
- Nov 13, 2023At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Nov 13, 2023Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5710-5711)
- Nov 13, 2023Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 0 (Roll no. 643). (text: CR H5677)
- Nov 13, 2023Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Oct 25, 2023Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 118-250.
- Oct 25, 2023Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 200.
- Sep 28, 2023Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Sep 28, 2023Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 28 - 0.
- Feb 17, 2023Introduced in House
- Feb 17, 2023Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 2
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.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5147 | Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI | Jul 11, 2024 |
| House | Debate and remarks H5677–H5679Text printed H5677Recorded votes H5710reauthorize | Ann Wagner R-MO, Darrell Issa R-CA, Jerrold Nadler D-NY, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Nov 13, 2023 |
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.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Oct 10, 2023H.R. 1105, Debbie Smith Act of 2023As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on September 28, 2023
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 169, no. 33, February 17, 2023, page H856.
CRS reports 14
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 14
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R45997 | Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Structural Features and Function | Report | Sep 17, 2026 |
| R48194 | The U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise: Background and Possible Issues for Congress | Report | Aug 15, 2025 |
| R47657 | Energy and Water Development Appropriations for Nuclear Weapons Activities: In Brief Archived | Report | Jun 4, 2025 |
| RL33222 | U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel: Overview and Developments since October 7, 2023 | Report | May 28, 2025 |
| R48097 | Energy and Water Development: FY2025 Appropriations | Report | May 15, 2025 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 499 | Debbie Smith Act of 2023 | Identical bill | Nov 6, 2023 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Debbie Smith Act of 2023
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Debbie Smith Act of 2023
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Debbie Smith Act of 2023
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Debbie Smith Act of 2023
- Short Title(s) from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text
- Debbie Smith Act of 2023
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crimes against women
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal justice information and records
- Evidence and witnesses
- Genetics
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Sex offenses
- Violent crime
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Nov 14, 2023Placed on Calendar Senate
- Nov 13, 2023Engrossed in House
- Oct 25, 2023Reported in House
- Feb 17, 2023Introduced in House
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.
