No Free Pass for Felons Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would condition federal law enforcement, COPS, and transit security grants on minimum pretrial public safety standards, especially requiring judicial "dangerousness" hearings and public reporting on pretrial releases. It targets use of personal recognizance and unsecured appearance bonds for people charged with violent offenses.
Show full summary
- States and local governments seeking Byrne Justice Assistance and COPS grant money would have to certify they bar pretrial release on personal recognizance or unsecured appearance bonds for a "covered defendant" unless a court first holds a dangerousness hearing and makes a written on-the-record finding that release will reasonably assure appearance and safety. Applicants must also collect and publish annual data on judge release decisions, rearrests for covered violent offenses, and failures to appear, disaggregated by type of pretrial release.
- Transit Security Grant eligibility would require the same State-level pretrial certification and annual data publication for the State where the transit agency operates. The Secretary may grant temporary waivers for site-specific security threats.
- If a jurisdiction fails to meet the certification and reporting requirements and does not cure the deficiency after notice, the Attorney General could limit awards to no more than 85% of the usual allocation. The bill also defines key terms including "covered defendant," "covered violent offense," and "dangerousness hearing," and would require rules within 180 days and apply to applications in the first fiscal year beginning 18 months after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Grant cuts for noncompliant states
If enacted, the Attorney General would be able to reduce a State's or local government's Byrne JAG allocation to not more than 85 percent of the amount otherwise allocable if the jurisdiction fails to meet the bill's pretrial-release and data requirements. The Attorney General would have to give notice and an opportunity to cure before applying the reduction. The reduction would apply to grants covered by the bill's effective date rule.
New grant rules on pretrial release
If enacted, applicants for Byrne JAG, COPS, and Transit Security grants would have to certify that state or local law bars release on personal recognizance or unsecured bond for a "covered defendant" unless a court first holds a dangerousness hearing and makes a written on-the-record finding that release conditions will reasonably assure appearance and public safety. Applicants or States would also have to collect and publish yearly data on release decisions for covered violent offenses, rearrests for such offenses while released, and failures to appear, broken down by type of pretrial release. The bill defines "covered defendant," "covered violent offense," and a "dangerousness hearing." For transit grants, the DHS Secretary could temporarily waive the requirement for an acute site-specific security threat. These rules would apply to grant applications submitted in the first fiscal year beginning 18 months after enactment, and the Attorney General would have to issue implementing rules within 180 days after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]
NC • R
Cosponsors
Nehls
TX • R
Sponsored 11/21/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov