Equal Enforcement of Cocaine Laws Act

Bill: 117-s-2156
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2021-06-22
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2021-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-06-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Equal Enforcement of Cocaine Laws Act</strong></p> <p>This bill eliminates the federal sentencing disparity between drug offenses involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine. </p> <p>Currently, different threshold quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine (e.g., 28 grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine) trigger the same statutory criminal penalties.</p> <p>Under the bill, the same threshold quantity of crack cocaine and powder cocaine (e.g., 28 grams) triggers the same statutory criminal penalties. </p> <p>The change applies to future cases and cases pending on the date of enactment. However, the change does not apply retroactively.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2156 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 22, 2021 Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To eliminate the disparity in sentencing for cocaine offenses, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Equal Enforcement of Cocaine Laws Act . 2. Elimination of increased penalties for cocaine offenses where the cocaine involved is cocaine base (a) Controlled Substances Act Section 401(b)(1) of the Controlled Substances Act ( 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 5 kilograms and inserting 280 grams ; (B) by striking clause (iii); and (C) by redesignating clauses (iv) through (viii) as clauses (iii) through (vii), respectively; and (2) in subparagraph (B)— (A) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 500 grams and inserting 28 grams ; (B) by striking clause (iii); and (C) by redesignating clauses (iv) through (viii) as clauses (iii) through (vii), respectively. (b) Controlled Substances Import and Export Act Section 1010(b) of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act ( 21 U.S.C. 960(b) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 5 kilograms and inserting 280 grams ; (B) by striking subparagraph (C); (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (H) as subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively; and (D) in subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 500 grams and inserting 28 grams ; (B) by striking subparagraph (C); (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (H) as subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively; and (D) in subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon. (c) Applicability to pending cases This section, and the amendments made by this section, shall apply to any sentence imposed after the date of enactment of this Act, regardless of when the offense was committed.