Bill · H.R. 6953· House(119-HR-6953)
Violent Insurrection Recidivist Enhancement Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 1/6/2026
- Last activity
- 1/6/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Norma Torres
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Violent Insurrection Recidivist Enhancement Act of 2026 aims to provide enhanced penalties for individuals convicted of violent insurrection. The bill defines violent insurrection as certain unlawful entries, violence, or property damage at the United States Capitol, White House, or Supreme Court. It establishes specific sentencing increases for repeat offenders who commit these acts after the law takes effect. These enhancements include additional prison terms ranging from 4 to 10 years depending on the underlying crime. Furthermore, certain crimes linked to patterns of anti-democratic conduct may result in life imprisonment.
Yes
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+2
The bill explicitly preserves the right to appeal both the underlying conviction and the enhanced penalty.
The opposite
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?-7
The bill implements significant sentence enhancements of up to 10 years or life imprisonment for repeat offenders of violent insurrection.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Democratic Institutions: The bill seeks to protect democratic institutions, governmental functions, and public safety (Section 2).
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Deterrence of Future Attacks: The implementation of recidivist enhancements is intended to deter future attacks on constitutional governance (Section 2).
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Incapacitation of Offenders: The Act aims to incapacitate defendants from committing future acts of violent insurrection (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Prison Terms: Individuals convicted of violent insurrection who have prior convictions may receive significant additional prison time, such as an additional 4 years for general enhancements, 5 years for serious felonies, or 10 years for violence against government or damage to Federal property (Section 4).
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Life Imprisonment: Individuals convicted of specific crimes like treason, seditious conspiracy, or murder of a Federal official, who have engaged in a pattern of anti-democratic conduct, may be sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years (Section 4).
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Application of Pardoned Convictions: A prior conviction can still be used to trigger these enhanced penalties even if that conviction was subsequently pardoned or set aside (Section 3 and Section 6).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Criminal Sentencing Reform-7
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+2
- 1/6/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Lizzie FletcherDemocrat · Texas
Laura FriedmanDemocrat · California
Robin KellyDemocrat · Illinois