Sponsors (24)
The bill increases federal transparency about local pretrial release practices—helping communities, victims, and officials identify and pressure jurisdictions for change—but that same transparency and broad AG discretion risk politicized labeling, reputational harm, and policies that could increase pretrial detention for vulnerable defendants.
Communities, victims, and local law enforcement gain clearer, centralized federal information about which jurisdictions allow release on recognizance for serious offenses, enabling oversight and targeted local or federal responses.
State and local governments may face pressure from public transparency to reassess pretrial release policies for violent and disorder offenses, which could lead to policy changes that reduce repeat offending and improve public safety.
Victims and community advocacy groups gain a tool to identify and focus advocacy on specific jurisdictions, making it easier to press for criminal-justice reforms where perceived problems are concentrated.
Defendants—particularly low-income and uninsured people—could face increased pretrial detention if listed jurisdictions respond to the federal list by adopting stricter detention practices, raising jail populations, costs, and risks associated with pretrial incarceration.
State and local governments may suffer reputational harm and political pressure from being publicly labeled as permitting release on recognizance for serious charges, even when their practices comply with local law or risk-assessment procedures.
The Attorney General receives broad discretion to define what counts as a 'covered offense,' creating a risk of inconsistent or politicized designations that could unfairly target particular offenses or local practices.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Attorney General to publish annually a list of states and localities that permit pretrial release on personal recognizance or unsecured bond for offenses the AG deems a public safety threat.
Requires the Attorney General to publish a public list, within one year of enactment and every year after, naming each State and unit of local government that allows pretrial release on personal recognizance or by an unsecured appearance bond for offenses the Attorney General deems to pose a clear threat to public safety. "Covered offenses" include violent or sexual crimes and offenses that promote public disorder; the Attorney General makes the final determination about which offenses qualify.
Introduced September 30, 2025 by Mark Harris · Last progress May 18, 2026