Govwatch

Introduced

In Committee

3

Passed One Chamber

4

Passed Both

5

Signed into Law

Sponsor

Richard J. Durbin

Democrat · IL · Senator

Votes with party: 80.4% (866 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/D000563

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (10)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S733-734)

2026-03-02

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Senate Committee on the JudiciaryReferred To · 2026-03-02

Previously

Judiciary CommitteeReferred To · 2026-03-02

Plain-English Summary

Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026 This bill reduces statutory mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug offenses, requires reporting on the impact of cost savings from the reductions, and establishes a public database of federal criminal offenses. First, the bill reduces statutory mandatory minimum penalties for two types of offenders: (1) individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and (2) couriers who import or export a controlled substance. Second, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report on how the reduced expenditures on federal corrections and cost savings from the reductions in mandatory minimum sentences help to reduce overcrowding in federal prisons, increase investment in law enforcement and crime prevention, and reduce recidivism. Third, the bill requires DOJ and federal agencies to report on and create public databases of all criminal offenses—criminal statutory offenses and criminal regulatory offenses.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Crime and Law Enforcement

Full bill text is not yet cached locally.

Open text view Read on Congress.gov

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