I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2194 
To provide for expedited compassionate release in the event of a public 
health emergency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2021 
Mr. CICILLINE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To provide for expedited compassionate release in the event 
of a public health emergency. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 
1. 
COMPASSIONATE 
RELEASE 
FOR 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH EMERGENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3622 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding subsection (a), by 
inserting ‘‘or the sentencing court’’ after ‘‘The Bu-
reau of Prisons’’; 
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(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in subsection (c), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) in the event of a public health emergency and 
if the Bureau or the sentencing court, as the case may 
be, determines that there exists a substantial, imminent 
health risk to the prisoner, other prisoners, or Bureau em-
ployees, reside in the community under the supervision of 
the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services for the judi-
cial district in which the community is located.’’. 
(b) COMPASSIONATE RELEASE PETITION.—Section 
3582 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(1)(A), in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i) by inserting ‘‘or, during a public 
health emergency (as defined in section 3627), upon 
motion of the defendant prior to exhaustion of all 
administrative appeals or the lapse of 30-days,’’ 
after ‘‘whichever is earlier,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) PROCEDURES
DURING
A
PUBLIC
HEALTH 
EMERGENCY.— 
‘‘(1) 
PROMPT
RELEASE
OF
MEDICAL 
RECORDS.—If the defendant’s attorney submits a 
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declaration to the Bureau of Prisons under penalty 
of perjury that counsel is seeking records to file a 
motion described in subsection (c)(1)(A) during a 
public health emergency, the Bureau of Prisons shall 
promptly release all medical records from the year 
preceding the declaration to the defendant’s attor-
ney. 
‘‘(2) EXPEDITED
PROCEDURES.—The court 
shall expedite, to the extent practicable, ruling on 
motions filed under subsection (c)(1)(A) during a 
public health emergency.’’. 
(d) DEFINITION OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.— 
Subchapter C of chapter 229 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 3627. Definition of public health emergency 
‘‘In this subchapter, the term ‘public health emer-
gency’— 
‘‘(1) means— 
‘‘(A) a public health emergency declared by 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
under section 319 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d); or 
‘‘(B) a public health emergency declared 
by the Governor of a State or territory in which 
a Bureau of Prisons facility is located; and 
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‘‘(2) includes the public health emergency de-
clared by the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices on January 31, 2020, in response to COVID– 
19.’’. 
(e) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for subchapter C of chapter 229 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘3627. Definition of public health emergency.’’. 
Æ 
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