Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025

This bill sets a clear rule for federal crimes about what someone had to know. If a law or federal rule doesn’t say what the person’s state of mind must be, prosecutors would have to prove the person acted “knowingly” for each part of the offense. This applies to crimes based on federal laws and on federal regulations. The goal is to spell out the mental state needed when a law is silent about it .

Key points:

• Who is affected: People and organizations facing federal criminal charges, including those tied to federal regulations.
• What changes: When a criminal law or rule doesn’t name a required mental state, the government must show the person knew what they were doing for each part of the crime.