Sponsors (2)
The bill increases accountability and deters unlawful removal or concealment of government records, but does so by imposing very harsh criminal penalties that risk chilling lawful information handling, raising legal exposure for federal workers and increasing taxpayer costs.
Federal DOJ and intelligence personnel are more strongly deterred from unlawfully removing or concealing government records, reducing the risk that evidence will be destroyed or lost.
The general public may experience increased trust in the justice system because tougher penalties signal stronger accountability for misconduct by justice and intelligence officials.
Law-enforcement and intelligence personnel may curtail lawful information sharing and cautious handling of records out of fear of severe criminal penalties, creating a chilling effect that could harm interagency coordination and national security operations.
Federal DOJ and intelligence employees face substantially higher criminal exposure—potentially mandatory multi-decade sentences—for record mishandling, increasing risk for administrative mistakes or ambiguous conduct to trigger severe punishment.
Taxpayers could face higher costs from increased prosecutions, court workloads, and potential prison use if the enhanced penalties are widely applied.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Raises criminal penalties to 20 years-to-life imprisonment (and/or fines) for DOJ and intelligence personnel who unlawfully remove, alter, or destroy federal records.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for enhanced penalties for officers and employees of the Department of Justice and the intelligence communities who conceal, remove, or mutilate Government records, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 14, 2025 by Anna Luna · Last progress March 14, 2025
Raises criminal penalties for Department of Justice officers and employees and for officers or employees of intelligence community elements who unlawfully remove, alter, or destroy certain government records: the new penalty range requires imprisonment of at least 20 years up to life and/or fines under Title 18. The change is an amendment to the criminal statute governing unlawful disposition of federal records and applies specifically to DOJ and intelligence community personnel.