District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025
September 8, 2025
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Where This Stands
Currently passed_chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Signed.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →The Frame
This bill would eliminate the possibility of pretrial release for individuals charged with certain violent crimes and mandate secured cash bail for a range of public safety offenses in the District of Columbia.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
District of Columbia residents
Residents charged with specific crimes would face mandatory detention or mandatory cash bail requirements.
Bail bond sureties
Sureties are granted specific authority to arrest and transport individuals released on secured appearance bonds.
D.C. judicial officers
Judges would be required to follow new mandatory detention and bail procedures for specific categories of offenses.
Current stage: passed_chamber.
Signed.
Summary
Key Facts
- Mandates pretrial detention for all individuals charged with a 'crime of violence' or 'dangerous crime'.
- Mandates post-conviction detention for individuals convicted of a 'crime of violence' or 'dangerous crime'.
- Requires a secured appearance bond (cash bail) for individuals charged with 'public safety or order' crimes.
- Defines 'public safety or order crimes' to include failure to appear in court, obstruction of justice, fleeing law enforcement, rioting, inciting a riot, destruction of property, stalking, and certain types of burglary and robbery.
- Allows sureties (bail bondsmen) to arrest individuals released on a secured appearance bond and deliver them to U.S. Marshals.
- Narrows the definition of 'dangerous crime' and 'crime of violence' to specifically include first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, and offenses involving dangerous weapons.
- Establishes a legal presumption that release is not appropriate if a person has threatened or injured law enforcement, court officers, witnesses, or jurors.
- Establishes a legal presumption against release for individuals who violate firearm regulations while on probation or parole for a violent or dangerous crime.
Why It Matters
This bill would eliminate the possibility of pretrial release for individuals charged with certain violent crimes and mandate secured cash bail for a range of public safety offenses in the District of Columbia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill apply to all crimes in D.C.?
Can a bail bondsman arrest me under this bill?
What happens if I am charged with a 'crime of violence'?
News Coverage
Voting Record
Total
414
Yes
237
No
177
Present
0
Not Voting
0
Abstain
0
How they voted (414)
Riley Moore
R · yes
Frank Pallone
D · no
Greg Stanton
D · no
Brad Finstad
R · yes
Joe Wilson
R · yes
Mark Takano
D · no
Trent Kelly
R · yes
James Comer
R · yes
J. Correa
D · no
Nikema Williams
D · no
William Keating
D · no
Darin LaHood
R · yes
Addison McDowell
R · yes
Ann Wagner
R · yes
Adam Smith
D · no
Mike Ezell
R · yes
Steve Scalise
R · yes
Maxine Dexter
D · no
Summer Lee
D · no
Josh Brecheen
R · yes
Grace Meng
D · no
Raul Ruiz
D · no
Anna Paulina Luna
R · yes
Johnny Olszewski
D · no
+ 390 more
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Mandatory Detention
The bill moves away from judicial discretion by requiring mandatory detention for specific categories of crimes, effectively removing the option for pretrial release for those defendants.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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