Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation Act of 2023 or the GRACE Act This bill establishes that an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship includes a hardship resulting from a removal (or deportation) that separates the individual subject to removal from a family member who is a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the United States. Under current law, the Department of Homeland Security may cancel the removal of a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) if the removal would result in an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Preventing Vigilante Stalking that Stops Women's Access to Healthcare and Abortion Rights Act of 2022 This bill increases the maximum prison term for a stalking offense, if the offense is committed with the intent to obtain an individual's health care information or prevent an individual's health care decisions.
Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2023 This bill establishes a new early release option for certain federal prisoners. Specifically, the Bureau of Prisons must release early an offender who has completed at least half of his or her sentence if such offender has attained age 45, has never been convicted of a crime of violence, and has not received any institutional disciplinary violations.
Terry Technical Correction Act This bill broadens the scope of crack cocaine offenders who are eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act of 2018. The First Step Act made the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive and authorized sentencing reductions for certain crack cocaine offenders convicted and sentenced before the Fair Sentencing Act became effective. Under current law, crack cocaine offenders whose conduct triggered a mandatory minimum sentence are eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act. However, in 2021, the Supreme Court held in Terry v. United States that low-level crack cocaine offenders whose conduct did not trigger a mandatory minimum sentence are not eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act. This bill extends eligibility for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act to all crack cocaine offenders convicted and sentenced before the Fair Sentencing Act became effective, including low-level offenders whose conduct did not trigger a mandatory minimum sentence.
Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage solely for the purpose of public education. DOJ must give at least 90 days public notice and afford an opportunity for a hearing before establishing such best practices. The bill authorizes DOJ to award grants for the development, implementation, and evaluation of Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs. The bill also provides for a new tax credit through 2030 for 10% of amounts received from the retail sale of a safe firearm storage device for use in the United States.
Safeguard Healthcare Industry Employees from Litigation and Distress Act or the SHIELD Act This bill establishes a framework to limit interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services at the state level. For the purposes of this summary, interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services includes acts to prevent, restrict, impede, or retaliate against a health care provider who provides reproductive health care services, any person or entity who helps health care providers to provide such services, any person who seeks to access such services, or any person or entity who helps another person to access such services. First, the bill reduces the allocation of funds under certain law enforcement grant programs for a state that has in effect a law authorizing state or local officers or employees to interfere with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services. Second, the bill prohibits interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health care services by state or local officers or employees acting under color of law in any manner that would have a discriminatory effect on a woman, and by persons who are not state or local officers or employees and are attempting to implement or enforce a state law in circumstances affecting interstate commerce. The bill authorizes civil remedies for a violation, including damages and injunctive relief. Additionally, it authorizes criminal penalties for a violation involving the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or the infliction of bodily injury.
Reforming Alternatives to Incarceration and Sentencing to Establish a Better Path for Youth Act of 2023 or the RAISE Act of 2023 This bill modifies requirements and procedures related to the sentencing, confinement, and release of youth who are involved in the federal criminal justice system. The term youth means an individual who is prosecuted or sentenced for a criminal offense committed at age 21 or younger. The bill modifies federal sentencing options for youth, including by allowing courts to depart from the statutory mandatory minimum for certain nonviolent offenses, to reduce the prison term of a youth who has completed 20 years of the sentence, and to treat as discretionary a sentence of imprisonment for life. Additionally, it requires the Bureau of Prisons to separately designate youth correctional facilities, minimize contact between youth and other offenders, and establish programs regarding youth education, skills training, reentry, and mental and emotional health. Finally, the bill promotes reentry and reintegration into the community, including by providing an early release option for youth offenders who complete one half or more of their prison term and meet certain criteria; authorizing home confinement for a longer period of time; limiting the maximum prison term for technical violations of probation; establishing pilot programs for mentorship, government service, and animal service; and establishing pilot programs for diversion of high-risk, victimized, and primary caretaker youth.
Effective and Humane Treatment of Youth Act of 2023 or Kalief's Law This bill establishes requirements for the treatment of youth in the criminal justice system at the federal, state, and local levels. A youth is an individual who is 21 years of age or younger. At the federal level, the bill requires federal law enforcement officers to record youth custodial interrogations, limits the use of solitary confinement for youth at federal facilities, and limits the use of restraints on youth during federal court proceedings. At the state and local levels, the bill places conditions on existing grants and establishes a new grant to incentivize the implementation of similar policies with respect to youth. First, the bill reauthorizes the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program for FY2023-FY2027. To be eligible for grant funds, state and local governments must implement policies that, with respect to youth, provide a right to speedy trial, provide a right to timely bail consideration, and restrict the use of solitary confinement. Second, a state or local government that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program or the Community Oriented Policing Services program must implement policies and training on police-youth interaction. Third, the bill directs the Department of Justice to award grants to help state and local governments record youth custodial interrogations.