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HR 1062 118th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Criminal procedure and sentencing Drug trafficking and controlled substances

EQUAL Act

Introduced: February 17, 2023 See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 24, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Feb 17, 2023
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Feb 17, 2023
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act or the EQUAL Act

This bill eliminates the federal sentencing disparity between drug offenses involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

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.

This bill eliminates the lower quantity thresholds for crack cocaine offenses. Under the bill, the same threshold quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine trigger the same statutory criminal penalties.

The change applies to future cases and cases pending on the date of enactment. With respect to past cases, the bill authorizes resentencing of a defendant who was convicted or sentenced for a crack cocaine offense before the date of enactment.

What's happening now February 24, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 18
All 18 Democratic 10 Republican 8