Bill · S. 2686· Senate(119-S-2686)
DC CRIMES Act
- Introduced
- 9/2/2025
- Last activity
- 9/2/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Jim Banks
- Cosponsors
- - 7 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "DC CRIMES Act" limits youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals aged 18 or younger. It requires the DC Attorney General to create and maintain a public website with monthly updated statistics on juvenile crime. Additionally, it prohibits the Council of the District of Columbia from changing any existing mandatory minimum sentences or criminal sentencing guidelines.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+8
Requires the creation of a public, machine-readable website for juvenile crime statistics.
Does this give the federal government more power?+7
The bill explicitly limits the DC Council's authority to change sentencing guidelines, increasing federal oversight.
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?+2
Includes specific prohibitions against disclosing personally identifiable information of juveniles on the public website.
The opposite· 3 of 8
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?-8
Young adults aged 19-24 lose their youth offender status, leading to harsher adult sentencing.
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?-7
The bill prohibits sentencing below mandatory minimums and prevents the local council from reforming sentencing guidelines.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-5
It reduces the local autonomy (Home Rule) of the District of Columbia.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency: The bill requires the Attorney General to operate a publicly accessible website with detailed data on juvenile arrests, prosecutions, and sentencing (Section 3(a)). This provides the public with machine-readable data and historical archives to track crime trends (Section 3(c)-(d)).
-
Privacy Protections: The bill explicitly prohibits the website from including any personally identifiable information of any juvenile (Section 3(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Loss of Youth Status: Individuals between the ages of 19 and 24 will no longer be considered youth offenders, as the limit is lowered to 18 years of age or younger (Section 2(a)(1)).
-
Stricter Sentencing: The bill prohibits the issuance of sentences that are less than the mandatory-minimum term (Section 2(b)).
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Reduced Local Control: The Council of the District of Columbia is prohibited from enacting any rules or acts to change mandatory minimum sentences or sentencing guidelines that are in effect when the Act is passed (Section 4).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Young Adults-8Good For African Americans-3Good For Hispanic Americans-3Good For Low Income Households-2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Criminal Sentencing Reform-7Improves Racial Equity-3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+8Increases Federal Power+7Improves Privacy Rights+2Increase States Rights-5Improves Due Process-4
- 9/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/2/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina
John CornynRepublican · Texas
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Tom CottonRepublican · Arkansas
Bill HagertyRepublican · Tennessee
Eric SchmittRepublican · Missouri
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana