S 739
117th Congress
Senate
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Evidence and witnesses
Mens Rea Reform Act of 2021
Everywhere this bill has been
2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 11, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 11, 2021
Introduced in Senate
Plain-English summary
Mens Rea Reform Act of 2021
This bill establishes a default mens rea standard (i.e., state of mind requirement) for federal criminal offenses—statutory and regulatory—that lack an explicit standard.
The government must generally prove that a defendant acted willfully with respect to each element of an offense for which the text does not specify a state of mind.
What's happening now
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Committees of jurisdiction
1