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HR 5172 119th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Assault and harassment offenses Crimes against property Criminal procedure and sentencing District of Columbia Motor vehicles Sex offenses Violent crime

Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act

Introduced: September 8, 2025 Introduced by: Biggs, Andy Republican · Arizona See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 3, 2025
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 279.
Oct 3, 2025
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 119-326.
Sep 10, 2025
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 19.
Sep 10, 2025
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Sep 8, 2025
Introduced in House
Sep 8, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act

This bill establishes and increases mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for specified crimes in the District of Columbia.

First, the bill mandates a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder (currently, the mandatory minimum sentence is 30 years imprisonment and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment without parole). The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the sentencing of individuals under the age of 18 to life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder.

The bill also establishes a mandatory minimum sentence of

  • 10 years imprisonment for second-degree murder,
  • 10 years imprisonment for kidnapping,
  • 25 years imprisonment for first- degree sexual abuse, and
  • 25 years imprisonment for rape. 

Finally, the bill increases the mandatory minimum sentence for

  • first-degree burglary from 5 years to 10 years imprisonment,
  • unarmed carjacking from 7 years to 10 years imprisonment,
  • armed carjacking from 15 years to 20 years imprisonment, and
  • rape with a prior conviction of a crime of violence from 7 years to 30 years imprisonment.
What's happening now October 3, 2025

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 279.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 7

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

See all 7 filings →
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Republican 2
R
Higgins, Clay
Louisiana · Sep 9, 2025
 R
Donalds, Byron
Florida · Sep 8, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5172: Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5172/
MLA
"H.R. 5172: Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5172/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5172, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5172/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5172: Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5172/)
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