This legislation aims to prevent the District of Columbia from allowing individuals charged with an offense to be released pending trial without first executing a secured appearance bond . It explicitly prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting, and the Mayor from enforcing, any measure that permits such release without a bail bond with solvent sureties in an amount deemed reasonably necessary to assure the individual's court appearance. The bill makes significant conforming amendments to existing District of Columbia law. Specifically, it repeals provisions in Section 23-1321 of the D.C. Official Code that previously allowed for release on personal recognizance, thereby making a secured bond a mandatory condition for pretrial release. Furthermore, the legislation amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to include this prohibition, preventing future D.C. legislative actions from circumventing this requirement. These provisions apply broadly to any individual charged with an offense in the District of Columbia who appears before a judicial officer, regardless of whether their appearance occurs before, on, or after the bill's enactment date. A severability clause ensures that if any part of the Act is deemed invalid, the remaining provisions will still stand.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act.
USA119th CongressHR-5016| House
| Updated: 8/22/2025
This legislation aims to prevent the District of Columbia from allowing individuals charged with an offense to be released pending trial without first executing a secured appearance bond . It explicitly prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting, and the Mayor from enforcing, any measure that permits such release without a bail bond with solvent sureties in an amount deemed reasonably necessary to assure the individual's court appearance. The bill makes significant conforming amendments to existing District of Columbia law. Specifically, it repeals provisions in Section 23-1321 of the D.C. Official Code that previously allowed for release on personal recognizance, thereby making a secured bond a mandatory condition for pretrial release. Furthermore, the legislation amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to include this prohibition, preventing future D.C. legislative actions from circumventing this requirement. These provisions apply broadly to any individual charged with an offense in the District of Columbia who appears before a judicial officer, regardless of whether their appearance occurs before, on, or after the bill's enactment date. A severability clause ensures that if any part of the Act is deemed invalid, the remaining provisions will still stand.