Restoring Access Through Identification Act

Bill: 116-hr-4797
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Introduced: 2019-10-22
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Criminal justice information and records

Government information and archives

Licensing and registrations

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2019-11-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-10-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Restoring Access Through Identification Act</b></p> <p>This bill revises an existing requirement for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to help prisoners obtain identification documents during the prerelease planning process. </p> <p>Specifically, the bill requires such documents be provided at no cost to prisoners. Additionally, the BOP must notify prisoners if it cannot obtain such documents.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4797 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 22, 2019 Mr. Takano (for himself and Mr. Evans ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to require that Bureau of Prisons help Federal prisoners who are being released to obtain appropriate ID to facilitate their reentry into society at no cost to the prisoner, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restoring Access Through Identification Act . 2. Provision of photo identification card for prisoners (a) Title 18, United States Code Subparagraph (B) of section 4042(a)(6) of the title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (B) obtain, at no cost to the prisoner, identification documents, including social security cards, birth certificates, and driver’s licenses or State photo identification documents; and . (b) Second Chance Act of 2007 Section 231(b) of the Second Chance Act of 2007 ( 34 U.S.C. 60541(b) ) is amended by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) Obtaining identification (A) In general The Director shall assist prisoners in obtaining, at no cost to the prisoner, identification documents prior to release from a term of imprisonment in a Federal prison or if the individual was not sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a Federal prison, prior to release from a sentence to a term in community confinement, including a social security card, birth certificate, and driver's license or other State photo identification document. (B) Notice to prisoners of inability to obtain documents (i) Lack of response from Federal or State agency If the Director cannot obtain a copy of a document required to obtain a form of identification described in subparagraph (A) because of inaction by the Federal or State agency from which the document was requested, the Director shall provide to the prisoner— (I) a written statement that explains what steps the Director took in trying to obtain the document; and (II) any documents transmitted to the Director by the Federal or State agency in response to the request for the document. (ii) Lack of authorization from prisoner If the Director cannot obtain a copy of a document required to obtain a form of identification described in subparagraph (A) because the prisoner does not provide the authorization required to obtain the document, the Director shall provide a written statement to the prisoner that explains why the document was not obtained. (C) Report On an annual basis, the Director shall submit to Congress a report on the receipt of driver's licenses or other State photo identification documents by prisoners described in subparagraph (A) that includes, for the previous year— (i) the number of prisoners who received such an identification document; and (ii) the number of prisoners released without receiving such an identification document, and the reasons that such prisoners did not receive such an identification document. .