S. 1572 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, May 1, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLowers the bar for federal carjacking charges
Right now, federal law says carjacking is a crime only if someone takes a car from another person using force or intimidation, specifically intending to cause death or serious harm. This bill would change that. It would allow the government to charge someone with federal carjacking if they knowingly took a car by force or intimidation—without having to prove they intended to cause death or serious injury. The penalties stay the same: up to 15 years in prison for carjacking, or up to 25 years if the crime involves death or injury that happens alongside specific aggravating factors, like using a firearm.
How it affects you
This change mainly affects how federal prosecutors pursue carjacking cases and what they need to prove in court. If you're a car owner, it could mean federal law casts a wider net for prosecuting people who steal vehicles through force or threats, even when serious injury wasn't the stated goal. The practical effect on everyday people depends on how law enforcement and courts apply this lower threshold in practice.
Read the official summary (Reported to Senate, May 11, 2026)
Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act
This bill lowers the threshold the government must meet to establish that a defendant committed a federal carjacking offense.
Under current law, the federal carjacking statute prohibits taking (or attempting to take) a motor vehicle from the presence of another by force and violence or intimidation, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm.
This bill removes the requirement that a defendant take (or attempt to take) a motor vehicle with the specific intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. Under the bill, the government need only prove that a defendant took (or attempted to take) a motor vehicle knowingly. A violation (or attempted violation) is subject to the same criminal penalties as under current law—a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both.
A violation that results in death or serious bodily injury is subject to the same criminal penalties as under current law—a fine, a prison term of up to 25 years, or both—but only if the offense involves certain aggravating circumstances: (1) the motor vehicle is taken with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, or (2) a firearm is brandished or discharged during the offense.
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 SessionS. 1572
A BILL
Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) · Introduced May 1, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 11, 2026: “Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 404.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.