Sponsors (2)
The bill trades stronger federal leverage to tighten pretrial policies and improve transparency (aimed at reducing violent reoffending and clarifying implementation) for the risk of reduced federal funding, greater pretrial detention and diminished judicial discretion for defendants, increased burdens on resource-limited jurisdictions, and potential privacy concerns.
Communities (urban and rural) could see fewer releases of repeat violent offenders because federal grants would encourage stricter local bail/detention practices, which may improve public safety.
State and local governments gain clearer legal authority and a defined implementation timeline (including Attorney General rulemaking) to adopt and phase in new pretrial/detention requirements, reducing legal uncertainty for prosecutors and courts and giving applicants time to comply.
States and localities will collect and publish annual pretrial release and rearrest data, increasing transparency about pretrial outcomes for policymakers and the public.
States and localities risk losing federal grant funding (including up to 15% of Byrne JAG funds and potential loss of COPS-support) unless they change pretrial policies, reducing resources for public-safety programs and shifting costs to local taxpayers.
Conditioning grants on stricter detention standards and barring release on personal recognizance/unsecured bond without a dangerousness hearing would likely increase pretrial detention, limit judicial discretion, and reduce pretrial liberty—disproportionately affecting low-income people, defendants, and people with disabilities.
Smaller and resource-limited jurisdictions (including many rural areas) may struggle to meet federal minimums and certification/maintenance requirements, widening disparities in grant eligibility and service capacity and increasing the risk that local policing programs lose support.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Conditions certain federal law-enforcement and transit grants on state/local certification of pretrial policies, data collection, and dangerousness hearings for covered violent defendants, with penalties for noncompliance.
Introduced November 21, 2025 by Pat Harrigan · Last progress November 21, 2025
Conditions multiple federal public-safety grants (Byrne JAG, COPS, and Transit Security Grants) on state and local certification of pretrial policies and data collection related to defendants accused of violent offenses. It requires jurisdictions to certify that they hold judicial dangerousness hearings or otherwise limit release of covered violent defendants, authorizes grant reductions or noncompliance findings for failures to certify or maintain certifications, allows a limited transit-grant waiver for acute site-specific threats, and directs the Attorney General to issue implementing rules within 180 days; the statutory changes apply to grant applications in the first fiscal year beginning 18 months after enactment.