H.R. 98 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, Jan 3, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRemoves outdated federal misdemeanor crimes
Ever notice how old laws sometimes stay on the books long after they stop making sense? This bill gets rid of several federal crimes that are basically obsolete. It repeals misdemeanors like writing a check for less than a dollar, selling margarine that doesn't meet old packaging rules, removing a stamp from mail, boarding a ship before it's fully docked, and using the Capitol Grounds as a playground. The bill also allows people and organizations to make and sell metal coins of original design, as long as they don't look like real U.S. or foreign money.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly affect most people's daily lives, since these old crimes are rarely enforced anymore. The main practical change is that people interested in creating decorative or specialty metal coins would have more freedom to do so without running into federal rules designed for a different era.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 3, 2025)
End Endless Criminal Statutes Act
This bill permits individuals and organizations to make and pass metal coins intended for use as real money so long as the coins are of original design (i.e., do not resemble U.S. or foreign currency). Additionally, the bill repeals various federal misdemeanor offenses (i.e., criminal offenses punishable by a maximum prison term of one year or less), including the following:
• writing a check for less than $1,
• selling oleomargarine or colored margarine unless it complies with packaging and labeling requirements and is served in a triangular shape,
• removing a stamp from a piece of mail,
• boarding a vessel without authorization before it has been completely moored, and
• using the Capitol Grounds as a playground.
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. 98
A BILL
End Endless Criminal Statutes Act
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jun 10, 2025: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 14.”