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119-hr-8452119th Congress

Restoring Law and Order on America’s Streets Act

Sponsored By: Representative Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]

Introduced

Summary

Expands federal civil commitment to people judged a danger to public safety. This bill would broaden the law that allows civil commitment of sexually dangerous persons to also cover people with serious mental illness whose behavior poses a danger to the public, including violence, property crimes, public drug activity, urban camping, or urban squatting.

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  • Homeless individuals would face a required evaluation if they were homeless immediately before entering custody or immediately before criminal charges were dismissed for reasons tied to their mental condition. These evaluations would determine whether to certify them for civil commitment.
  • People with serious mental illness could be subject to civil commitment based on a new "danger to the public" standard. The bill lists behaviors that could trigger this finding, such as violence, burglary, robbery, larceny, vandalism, illegal narcotics activity in public places, urban camping, and urban squatting.
  • Federal officials would gain authority to act under the expanded rules. The Attorney General and the Bureau of Prisons would evaluate and may certify people in federal custody under the new definitions for civil commitment.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Expanded civil commitment for public danger

This bill would add a new "danger to public safety" category to federal civil-commitment rules. It would let federal authorities seek commitment when a person both (1) engaged or tried to engage in listed conduct — violence; burglary, robbery, or larceny; illegal drug activity in a public place; vandalism; or urban camping or urban squatting — and (2) has a serious mental illness that makes it hard to stop that behavior. The bill would define "urban camping" as using a temporary outdoor shelter (including a vehicle) as a main living place for more than 24 hours in one spot on nonrecreational property. It would define "urban squatting" as occupying a vacant or abandoned building, structure, or land without permission. It would also require the Attorney General or the Bureau of Prisons to evaluate people described in subsection (a) who were homeless immediately before entering federal custody or immediately before charges were dismissed solely for reasons related to the person’s mental condition, to decide whether to certify them as sexually dangerous or as a danger to public safety. These changes would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]

SC • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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