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HR10552119th Congress

Karly Rain Wood Act

Sponsored By: Representative Flood, Mike [R-NE-1]

Introduced

Summary

A national registry for repeat violent felons would create a central database and public notification system linking States, electing Indian Tribes, and federal agencies. It would require lifetime registration, periodic in-person verification, and coordinated data sharing to track people convicted of multiple qualifying violent offenses.

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  • Communities and families would receive public notifications about nearby registered repeat violent felons, increasing local awareness of risk and offender locations.
  • People convicted of two or more qualifying violent offenses would face lifetime registration, ongoing reporting requirements, and penalties for failing to verify their information.
  • States and electing Indian Tribes would be required to operate jurisdiction-wide registries and connect them to the national system; tribes may opt in as jurisdictions.
  • Military offenders convicted by courts-martial or released from military corrections after qualifying offenses would be reported to the national registry for inclusion.
  • The Attorney General would run the program and coordinate with the Departments of State and Homeland Security to notify jurisdictions about registrants entering the United States.
  • The bill creates a Repeat Violent Felon Management Assistance Program to fund technical help, software, guidance, and implementation support, though no specific appropriation amounts are listed.
  • Federal, state, and local officials acting in good faith under the law would receive civil liability protection for implementation actions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 2 mixed.

Lifetime registration and penalties

If enacted, people who meet the repeat violent felon definition would have to register for life in each place they live, work, or study (registration pauses only while in custody or civil commitment). Initial registration must happen before finishing a prison term or within 3 business days after sentencing if not imprisoned. Registrants would need to appear in person at least once every 90 days and report changes in name, address, employment, or student status within 3 business days. Jurisdictions would be required to create criminal penalties for failure to comply, with maximum prison terms greater than one year, and to notify the Attorney General and law enforcement when someone fails to register.

Who counts as a repeat felon

If enacted, the bill would define a “repeat violent felon” as someone convicted of at least two qualifying violent offenses, or one qualifying violent offense plus one serious drug offense. Qualifying offenses include crimes like murder, aggravated assault, robbery, sexual offenses, arson, and unlawful firearm or explosives use, but some low‑threat offenses are excepted. People who meet this definition would become subject to the Act's registration, reporting, and penalty rules.

National and local registry websites

If enacted, the Attorney General would create a National Repeat Violent Felon Registry and a public national website with single‑query searches by ZIP code or geographic radius. The FBI would host the national registry and must forward updated information immediately to relevant jurisdictions. The Attorney General would have up to two years to develop and support software so local registries can share data and link to the national site. Jurisdictions would also have to publish their own public websites with correction procedures and certain privacy exemptions (for example, victim names and Social Security numbers would not be posted).

Who gets notified and when

If enacted, jurisdictions would have to immediately notify a broad list of public‑safety and community recipients when a registrant registers or updates information. Recipients include law enforcement, probation, schools, public housing agencies, child‑protection and social service entities, and volunteer organizations that work with vulnerable people. The Attorney General would also set up a system, with the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, to alert U.S. jurisdictions about people entering the country who must register, and the Defense Department would report certain military release and court‑martial convictions to the national registry.

Government immunity for good faith

If enacted, the bill would give the Federal Government, jurisdictions, political subdivisions, and their agencies, officers, employees, and agents immunity from civil liability for good‑faith conduct carried out under the Act. This would limit some civil legal claims against government actors who implement or enforce the Act.

Grants and money for jurisdictions

If enacted, the Attorney General would run a Repeat Violent Felon Management Assistance Program and could award grants to help jurisdictions pay to implement the Act. Congress would be authorized to appropriate "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2027 and 2028. Jurisdictions that substantially comply quickly could get bonus payments (10% or 5% windows). Jurisdictions that fail to substantially implement could lose 10% of certain formula funds, with that money limited to use for implementing this Act. The Attorney General may grant limited implementation extensions and consider state constitutional issues.

Tribal participation and choices

If enacted, a federally recognized Indian Tribe could choose by resolution to be a jurisdiction under the Act, to delegate the Act's duties to another jurisdiction, or to let another jurisdiction carry out registry functions under cooperative agreements. A Tribe that is subject to State law enforcement jurisdiction would be treated as having delegated implementation if it does not make an affirmative election within one year after enactment or if the Attorney General finds it has not and is unlikely to substantially implement the Act.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Flood, Mike [R-NE-1]

NE • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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