Map
Live
US Code
Officials
Committees
Legislation
Rankings
Nominations
Holds
Stocks
Open search page

House Votes

Vote Data Not Available

Senate Votes

Pending Committee
June 4, 2025 (8 months ago)

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Presidential Signature

Signature Data Not Available

Text Versions

Text as it was Introduced in Senate
June 4, 2025
View
Congress.wiki Alpha
AboutHow Congress WorksSupport UsRoadmapPrivacy PolicyTerms of Service

This is not an official government website.

Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.

United StatesSenate Bill 1949S 1949

Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act

Crime and Law Enforcement
  1. senate
  • house
  • president
  • Last progress June 4, 2025 (8 months ago)

    Introduced on June 4, 2025 by Charles Ernest Grassley

    AI Insights

    Analyzed 6 of 6 sections

    Summary

    Makes targeted changes across multiple federal criminal statutes to broaden liability, clarify mental-state requirements, and increase penalties. It amends the bank-robbery statute to cover conspiracies, clarifies that prosecutions for assaulting federal officers do not require proof the defendant knew the victim’s protected-status, raises maximum penalties and adds weapons-based enhancements for vehicle‑related violent crimes, narrows and strengthens a federal firearms provision to include attempts and conspiracies, creates a new enhanced offense and sentencing enhancement for Schedule I/II drugs disguised as candy or beverages intended for minors, and revises the federal kidnapping statute to restate and expand federal jurisdiction and penalties (including life or death if the victim dies).

    Key Points

    • Adds an explicit conspiracy penalty to the federal bank‑robbery statute so conspirators face the same penalties as principals.
    • Clarifies that prosecutions for assaulting federal officers under §111 do not require proof the defendant knew the victim was a protected federal person.
    • Increases maximum penalties and adds a weapons-based enhancement for certain vehicle-related violent crimes under §2119.
    • Amends §924(c)(3)(B) to make attempts and conspiracies to use force fall within the firearms predicate language.
    • Creates a new federal offense and sentencing enhancement for Schedule I/II drugs disguised as candy or beverages intended for persons under 18.
    • Rewrites the federal kidnapping statute to restate the offense, add a parental exception, specify federal jurisdictional bases, and raise penalties including life or death in fatal cases.
    • Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to add at least a 2‑level enhancement for the new drug offense targeting minors.
    • Overall increases federal prosecutorial reach and statutory maximums, likely resulting in longer federal sentences and more federal prosecutions for related conduct.
    • Some changes (notably the §111 mens rea clarification and expanded conspiracy coverage) could generate legal and constitutional challenges about intent and scope.

    Categories & Tags

    Agencies
    United States Government
    United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
    United States Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
    United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    +5 more

    Provisions

    37 items

    Amend Section 2113 of title 18, United States Code, by modifying subsection (a) as follows: (A) by striking ; (B) by striking ; and (C) by inserting before the following: ;. (Text shown exactly as in the bill.)

    amendment

    Redesignate subsections (f), (g), and (h) of Section 2113 as subsections (g), (h), and (i), respectively.

    amendment

    Insert after subsection (e) a new subsection (f): 'Whoever conspires to commit any offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.'

    penalty
    Affects: Persons who conspire to commit any offense under Section 2113 (as stated: 'Whoever conspires...')

    Officers and employees of the United States Government dutifully and faithfully serve the United States and often place themselves at serious risk of death or bodily harm to preserve, protect, and defend U.S. interests.

    finding
    Affects: Officers and employees of the United States Government

    When Congress prohibited assaulting, resisting, or impeding Federal officers and employees, it intended to maximize protection for Federal officers and employees and ensure individuals who kill or assault them are prosecuted.

    finding
    Affects: Federal officers and employees
    Subjects
    criminal penalties
    criminal law
    conspiracy
    penalties
    bank robbery
    related crimes
    +4 more
    Affected Groups
    Federal law enforcement personnel
    Children (under 18)
    Individuals (general)
    Federal courts (judicial actors)
    +3 more

    Sponsors (13)

    Amendments

    No Amendments

    Related Legislation

    No Related Legislation

    Impact Analysis

    Primary impacts: law enforcement, prosecutors, federal courts, defendants, and the federal prison system. Law enforcement and federal prosecutors gain clearer statutory authority to charge conspiracies, attempts, and offenses tied to use or threat of force, and they can pursue higher sentences for vehicle-related violent crimes and for distribution of drugs disguised as candy/beverages to minors. The mens rea clarification for assaults on federal officers lowers a proof element (the Government need not show the defendant knew the victim was a federal official), which may increase convictions but could be challenged as broadening criminal liability. The new Controlled Substances provision targets traffickers who disguise drugs to appeal to children and requires the Sentencing Commission to increase guideline severity; manufacturers, distributors, and sellers could face heightened penalties and compliance scrutiny. Changes to kidnapping law expand and clarify federal jurisdiction and penalties, making certain abductions more likely to be prosecuted federally and increasing exposure to life or death sentences when victims die. Courts will see new legal questions (e.g., constitutional challenges to mens rea changes, disputes about the reach of the revised kidnapping provision, and sentencing application of the new enhancements). The federal prison population and Bureau of Prisons may face increased sentence lengths for covered offenses. State prosecutors and legislatures are not directly altered, but overlapping conduct could shift case filings from state to federal systems. Victims (including minors) may see stronger federal prosecutorial options and tougher penalties for offenders. Overall, the bill increases federal criminal exposure and sentencing severity across several violent‑ and drug‑related offenses, with attendant impacts on court workloads and corrections resources.