D. C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act of 2024

6/11/2024, 4:07 PM

D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act of 2024 or the DC CRIMES Act of 2024

This bill limits the authority of the District of Columbia (DC) government over its criminal sentencing laws. 

The bill eliminates the DC government’s authority to enact any act, resolution, or rule to change any criminal liability sentence in effect on the date of the bill's enactment.

The bill also reduces the maximum age of a youth offender from 24 years to 18 years. A DC criminal court currently has the discretion to reduce or modify certain criminal sentences for a youth offenders under specified circumstances. For example, a DC court may sentence a youth offender to probation in lieu of confinement. (However, this discretion does not apply to several specified violent crimes.) 

Additionally, the bill directs the Office of the Attorney General for DC to publish, and update monthly, certain youth offender crime data on a publicly accessible website. 

Congress
118

Number
HR - 7530

Introduced on
2024-03-05

# Amendments
1

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

5/16/2024

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
Passed in House
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act of 2024 or the DC CRIMES Act of 2024

This bill limits the authority of the District of Columbia (DC) government over its criminal sentencing laws. 

The bill eliminates the DC government’s authority to enact any act, resolution, or rule to change any criminal liability sentence in effect on the date of the bill's enactment.

The bill also reduces the maximum age of a youth offender from 24 years to 18 years. A DC criminal court currently has the discretion to reduce or modify certain criminal sentences for a youth offenders under specified circumstances. For example, a DC court may sentence a youth offender to probation in lieu of confinement. (However, this discretion does not apply to several specified violent crimes.) 

Additionally, the bill directs the Office of the Attorney General for DC to publish, and update monthly, certain youth offender crime data on a publicly accessible website. 

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo limit youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
Crime and Law Enforcement

Potential Impact
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
District of Columbia
Government information and archives
Internet, web applications, social media
Juvenile crime and gang violence

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary5/22/2024

D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act of 2024 or the DC CRIMES Act of 2024

This bill limits the authority of the District of Columbia (DC) government over its criminal sentencing laws. 

The b...


Latest Action5/16/2024
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.