I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4878 
To help end crime and disorder on America’s streets. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 5, 2025 
Mr. CARTER of Georgia (for himself, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, 
and Mr. STEUBE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on En-
ergy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To help end crime and disorder on America’s streets. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Make Our Streets Safe 
Again Act’’ or the ‘‘MOSSA Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ENDING CRIME AND DISORDER ON AMERICA’S 
STREETS. 
(a) RESTORING CIVIL COMMITMENT.—The Attorney 
General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, shall take appropriate action to— 
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(1) seek, in appropriate cases, the reversal of 
Federal or State judicial precedents and the termi-
nation of consent decrees that impede the United 
States policy of encouraging civil commitment of in-
dividuals with mental illness who pose risks to them-
selves or the public or are living on the streets and 
cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities 
for appropriate periods of time; and 
(2) provide assistance to State and local govern-
ments, through technical guidance, grants, or other 
legally available means, for the identification, adop-
tion, and implementation of maximally flexible civil 
commitment, institutional treatment, and ‘‘step- 
down’’ treatment standards that allow for the appro-
priate commitment and treatment of individuals with 
mental illness who pose a danger to others or are liv-
ing on the streets and cannot care for themselves. 
(b) FIGHTING VAGRANCY ON AMERICA’S STREETS.— 
(1) PRIORITY IN DISCRETIONARY GRANT PRO-
GRAMS.—The Attorney General, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Hous-
ing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of 
Transportation shall take immediate steps to assess 
their discretionary grant programs and determine 
whether priority for those grants may be given to 
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grantees in States and municipalities that, to the 
maximum extent permitted by law— 
(A) enforce prohibitions on open illicit 
drug use; 
(B) enforce prohibitions on urban camping 
and loitering; 
(C) enforce prohibitions on urban squat-
ting; 
(D) enforce, and where necessary, adopt, 
standards that address individuals who are a 
danger to themselves or others and suffer from 
serious mental illness or substance use disorder, 
or who are living on the streets and cannot care 
for themselves, through assisted outpatient 
treatment or by moving them into treatment 
centers or other appropriate facilities via civil 
commitment or other available means, to the 
maximum extent permitted by law; or 
(E) substantially implement and comply 
with, to the extent required, the registration 
and notification obligations of the Sex Offender 
Registration and Notification Act (34 U.S.C. 
20901 et seq.), particularly in the case of reg-
istered sex offenders with no fixed address, in-
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cluding by adequately mapping and checking 
the location of homeless sex offenders. 
(2) DUTIES OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The At-
torney General shall— 
(A) ensure that homeless individuals ar-
rested for Federal crimes are evaluated, con-
sistent with section 4248 of title 18, United 
States Code, to determine whether they are sex-
ually dangerous persons and certified accord-
ingly for civil commitment; 
(B) take all necessary steps to ensure the 
availability of funds under the Emergency Fed-
eral Law Enforcement Assistance program to 
support, as consistent with sections 609M 
through 609Y of the Justice Assistance Act of 
1984 (34 U.S.C. 50101 et seq.), encampment 
removal efforts in areas for which public safety 
is at risk and State and local resources are in-
adequate; 
(C) assess Federal resources to determine 
whether they may be directed toward ensuring, 
to the extent permitted by law, that detainees 
with serious mental illness are not released into 
the public because of a lack of forensic bed ca-
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pacity at appropriate local, State, and Federal 
jails or hospitals; and 
(D) enhance requirements that prisons and 
residential reentry centers that are under the 
authority of the Attorney General or receive 
funding from the Attorney General require in- 
custody housing release plans and, to the max-
imum extent practicable, require individuals to 
comply. 
(c) REDIRECTING FEDERAL RESOURCES TOWARD 
EFFECTIVE
METHODS
OF
ADDRESSING
HOMELESS-
NESS.— 
(1) DUTIES
OF
HHS
SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall take ap-
propriate action to— 
(A) ensure that discretionary grants issued 
by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration for substance use dis-
order prevention, treatment, and recovery fund 
evidence-based programs and do not fund pro-
grams that fail to achieve adequate outcomes, 
including so-called ‘‘harm reduction’’ or ‘‘safe 
consumption’’ efforts that only facilitate illegal 
drug use and its attendant harm; 
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(B) provide technical assistance to assisted 
outpatient treatment programs for individuals 
with serious mental illness or addiction during 
and after the civil commitment process focused 
on shifting such individuals off of the streets 
and public programs and into private housing 
and support networks; and 
(C) ensure that Federal funds for federally 
qualified health centers and certified community 
behavioral health clinics reduce rather than pro-
mote homelessness by supporting, to the max-
imum extent permitted by law, comprehensive 
services for individuals with serious mental ill-
ness and substance use disorder, including cri-
sis intervention services. 
(2) DUTIES OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The At-
torney General shall prioritize available funding to 
support the expansion of drug courts and mental 
health courts for individuals for which such diversion 
serves public safety. 
(d) INCREASING ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFETY IN 
AMERICA’S HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS.— 
(1) ACCOUNTABILITY IN GRANTS FOR HOME-
LESSNESS
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing 
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