H.R. 5172 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Oct 3, 2025; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryIncreases mandatory prison sentences in D.C
This bill changes sentencing rules for serious crimes in Washington, D.C. It raises the required minimum prison sentences that judges must impose for crimes like murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, burglary, and carjacking. For example, first-degree murder would carry a mandatory life sentence without possibility of parole, and several other violent crimes would have 10, 20, 25, or 30-year minimum sentences.
How it affects you
If you live in D.C., this changes how the criminal justice system handles serious violent crimes in your area by making prison sentences longer and more uniform. People convicted of these crimes in D.C. courts would spend more time incarcerated. The bill also affects people under 18 who commit first-degree murder, as it allows them to receive life sentences without parole, which is not currently permitted.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 8, 2025)
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5172
A BILL
Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) · Introduced Sep 8, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Oct 3, 2025: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 279.”