Sponsor
Ritchie Torres
Representative · D-NY
Representative · D-NY
The bill strengthens victims' ability to learn about and challenge prosecutorial dispositions (including NPAs) and gives courts a role in enforcing victims' rights, at the cost of higher risk of federal litigation, added government expense, possible delays in case resolution, and only a narrowly available private remedy in practice.
Crime victims in federal cases gain a clearer, enforceable path to challenge failures to notify them about plea, deferred prosecution, or nonprosecution agreements — and courts can order enforcement of victims' remaining Crime Victims' Rights Act protections — improving victims' ability to participate in and influence case dispositions.
Federal prosecutorial disposition rules explicitly cover nonprosecution agreements (NPAs) as well as pleas and DPAs, increasing transparency about disposition options that affect victims and strengthening DOJ accountability over how cases are resolved.
The federal government (and therefore taxpayers) faces increased litigation risk and potential legal costs because more victims can bring federal suits to enforce notification and rights.
Allowing victims to sue to enforce rights may lead to more courtroom litigation and procedural obstacles that could delay or complicate plea negotiations, DPAs, NPAs, and overall case resolution for defendants and courts.
The new private right of action is narrowly tied to late notification and may still leave victims facing practical barriers (standing, timeliness, remedies), producing uneven access to relief and unmet expectations for some victims.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds nonprosecution agreements to victims' notice rules and permits a limited federal lawsuit when timely notice is not given.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to authorize a crime victim to bring a civil action against the Government if the Government enters a plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement and fails to notify the victim, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 8, 2025 by Ritchie Torres · Last progress August 8, 2025
Expands federal victims' notification rights by adding “nonprosecution agreement” to the list of prosecutorial agreements that trigger victims’ notification requirements and creates a narrow private right of action allowing a victim to sue in federal court if the government entered a plea bargain, deferred prosecution agreement, or nonprosecution agreement and failed to provide timely notice. The bill preserves the general bar on private suits but carves out this limited enforcement pathway to protect victims’ remaining rights when timely notification is not given.