H.R. 277 · 119th Congress
Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
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GreeneSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill limits certain actions by the federal government related to the criminal prosecution and sentencing of individuals who are charged with a political protest offense. A political protest offense is a federal criminal offense that arises out of protest activities and is not a crime of violence.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jan 9, 2025
Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
This bill limits certain actions by the federal government related to the criminal prosecution and sentencing of individuals who are charged with a political protest offense. A political protest offense is a federal criminal offense that arises out of protest activities and is not a crime of violence. The bill also makes other changes that apply more broadly to curtail certain investigations and prosecutions of federal criminal offenses.
With respect to individuals who are charged with a political protest offense, the bill
- prohibits pretrial detention,
- generally requires the federal criminal trial to begin within 70 days of being charged or making an initial appearance before the court, and
- expresses the sense of Congress that the sentence imposed should be consistent with the minimum sentence provided by the guideline range applicable to the defendant.
With respect to investigations and prosecutions of federal criminal offenses more broadly, the bill
- makes the United States potentially liable for malicious overprosecution committed by federal investigative or law enforcement officers,
- limits the use of a national security authority (e.g., the Central Intelligence Agency) against a U.S. citizen,
- requires federal agencies to disclose whether the United States is or was investigating or surveilling a U.S. citizen when that information is requested under the Freedom of Information Act, and
- allows a defendant on trial for a criminal offense in the District of Columbia to change the venue of the trial to the U.S. district court that covers his or her primary residence.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
Latest action (Jan 9, 2025): Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement · Origin: House · Introduced: Jan 9, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.