Next Step Act of 2019
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (8 Apr 2019): Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
What this bill does
Here is a neutral summary:
H.R. 1893, the Next Step Act of 2019, is a broad criminal justice package combining several previously introduced bills. It would eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, remove marijuana from the federal controlled substances schedule, and reduce certain mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses while creating a lower penalty category for "couriers" whose role was limited to transporting drugs or money. It directs courts to allow resentencing or expungement in some past cases, establishes a Community Reinvestment Fund for communities affected by drug enforcement, and creates a mechanism to reduce federal law-enforcement funding to states with disproportionate marijuana arrest or incarceration rates. Additional titles address prison conditions for caregivers, restrict criminal-history questions in federal hiring and licensing, allow sealing/expungement of records, restore voting rights to certain citizens, and set new use-of-force reporting and anti-racial-profiling requirements for law enforcement.
The bill would affect federal defendants and prisoners, state and local governments receiving federal justice grants, federal agencies and contractors, formerly incarcerated individuals seeking jobs or licenses, and law enforcement agencies subject to new reporting and anti-profiling rules.
Introduced March 26, 2019, by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, the bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and several other committees. It did not receive a vote in the 116th Congress and did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Next Step Act of 2019
This bill revises sentencing guidelines, addresses prison conditions and prisoner reentry, and addresses law enforcement training.
First, it eliminates increased and mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses involving mixtures or substances which contain cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine).
It decriminalizes marijuana by (1) removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances; (2) eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana; and (3) expunging convictions for marijuana use or possession.
It reduces the mandatory minimum prison term for defendants who manufacture, distribute, or possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Additionally, the bill
• requires the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide videoconferencing free of charge to prisoners;
• prohibits federal agencies from requesting that applicants disclose their criminal history before receiving a conditional offer of employment;
Timeline
8 Apr 2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 1893 do?
- Here is a neutral summary: H.R. 1893, the Next Step Act of 2019, is a broad criminal justice package combining several previously introduced bills. It would eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, remove marijuana from the federal controlled substances schedule, and reduce certain mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses while creating a lower penalty category for "couriers" whose role was limited to transporting drugs or money. It directs courts to allow resentencing or expungement in some past cases, establishes a Community Reinvestment Fund for communities affected by drug enforcement, and creates a mechanism to reduce federal law-enforcement funding to states with disproportionate marijuana arrest or incarceration rates. Additional titles address prison conditions for caregivers, restrict criminal-history questions in federal hiring and licensing, allow sealing/expungement of records, restore voting rights to certain citizens, and set new use-of-force reporting and anti-racial-profiling requirements for law enforcement. The bill would affect federal defendants and prisoners, state and local governments receiving federal justice grants, federal agencies and contractors, formerly incarcerated individuals seeking jobs or licenses, and law enforcement agencies subject to new reporting and anti-profiling rules. Introduced March 26, 2019, by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, the bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and several other committees. It did not receive a vote in the 116th Congress and did not become law.
- Has H.R. 1893 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 1893. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 1893?
- H.R. 1893 was sponsored by Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), with 4 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 1893?
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (8 Apr 2019).
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