Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
The bill increases criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. §1791 for providing a prohibited object specified at subsection (d)(1)(F) (commonly interpreted as a cellphone) to persons in correctional facilities, adding a possible prison term of up to two years for certain violations. It also requires the Bureau of Prisons Director to review and, if needed, update BOP policies within one year to improve protections for incarcerated people and staff.
Liberals worry about expanded incarceration; conservatives emphasize deterrence.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive statutory amendment that also mandates an administrative policy review.
The bill increases criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. §1791 for providing a prohibited object specified at subsection (d)(1)(F) (commonly interpreted as a cellphone) to persons in correctional facilities, adding a possible prison term of up to two years for certain violations.
It also requires the Bureau of Prisons Director to review and, if needed, update BOP policies within one year to improve protections for incarcerated people and staff.
Content is narrow, safety-oriented, and low-cost, increasing prospects; procedural hurdles in the Senate and any sentencing-policy objections temper the likelihood.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive statutory amendment that also mandates an administrative policy review. The central amendment is targeted and identifies the statutory provision to be changed; the bill also assigns a concrete administrative task with a deadline.
Liberals worry about expanded incarceration; conservatives emphasize deterrence.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Liberals worry about expanded incarceration; conservatives emphasize deterrence.
Likely cautiously supportive of measures that protect staff and incarcerated people, but concerned about expanded criminal penalties and enforcement impacts.
Will want assurances that the law targets intentional smuggling and does not widen mass incarceration or unfairly punish visitors or low-level actors.
Generally favorable as a targeted measure to curb contraband phones and improve institutional safety, while seeking clarity on scope, enforcement, and costs.
Will emphasize implementation details and proportionality of penalties.
Likely strongly supportive as a law-and-order response that increases penalties for smuggling phones into prisons and mandates BOP action.
Views it as a necessary tool to prevent criminal coordination from inside facilities.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content is narrow, safety-oriented, and low-cost, increasing prospects; procedural hurdles in the Senate and any sentencing-policy objections temper the likelihood.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Liberals worry about expanded incarceration; conservatives emphasize deterrence.
Content is narrow, safety-oriented, and low-cost, increasing prospects; procedural hurdles in the Senate and any sentencing-policy objectio…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive statutory amendment that also mandates an administrative policy review. The central amendment is targeted and identifies the statutor…
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