Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act

Bill: 118-hr-6999
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
Introduced: 2024-01-16
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2024-01-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6999 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 16, 2024 Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require reports about the prosecution of certain offenses for recipients of Byrne grants, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act . 2. District Attorney reporting requirements for Byrne grants Section 501 of subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10152 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (i) District attorney reporting requirements (1) In general On an annual basis, each chief executive of a district attorney or prosecutor’s office that serves a jurisdiction of 380,000 or more persons, which jurisdiction receives funds under this part, shall submit to the Attorney General a report that contains, for the previous fiscal year, the following: (A) The total number of cases referred to the office for prosecution of a covered offense. (B) The number of cases such office declined to prosecute involving a covered offense and the reasoning for why office declined to prosecute covered offense. (C) For cases involving a covered offense that resulted in a plea agreement reached with the defendant— (i) the total number of such cases; (ii) the number of such cases by each initial charge; and (iii) the number of such cases by each charge of conviction. (D) The number of cases involving covered offenses initiated against a defendant— (i) previously arrested for a covered offense arising out of separate conduct; (ii) previously convicted for a covered offense arising out of separate conduct; (iii) with an open case involving a covered offense arising out of separate conduct; (iv) serving a term of probation for a conviction for a covered offense arising out of separate conduct; and (v) released on parole for a conviction for a covered offense arising out of separate conduct. (E) The number of defendants charged with a covered offense— (i) who were released on their own recognizance; (ii) who were eligible for bail; and (iii) for whom the prosecutor requested bail. (2) Uniform standards The Attorney General shall define uniform standards for the reporting of the information required under this subsection, including the form such reports shall take and the process by which such reports shall be shared with the Attorney General. (3) Submission to judiciary committees The Attorney General shall submit the information received under this subsection to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and shall publish such information on a publicly viewable website. (4) Covered offense defined In this subsection, the term covered offense means any of the following: (A) Murder or non-negligent manslaughter. (B) Forcible rape. (C) Robbery. (D) Aggravated assault. (E) Burglary. (F) Larceny. (G) Motor vehicle theft. (H) Arson. (I) Any offense involving the illegal use of a firearm. (J) Any offense involving the illegal possession of a firearm. (5) Reduction in funding For any fiscal year beginning on or after the date of enactment of this Act, a State or unit of local government shall be ineligible for a grant under this part if— (A) the chief executive of a district attorney or prosecutor’s office of that jurisdiction who was required to submit a report under this subsection, failed to submit the report required under this subsection; or (B) the chief executive of a district attorney or prosecutor’s office of that jurisdiction declined to prosecute 2/3 or more of the total number of cases referred to the office for prosecution of a covered offense for the previous fiscal year. .