Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., poses for a photo on the House steps after freshman members of Congress posed for their class photo on the House steps of the Capitol on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Currently, states have a range of different requirements governing pretrial releases, leading to an uneven patchwork across the country. In North Carolina, for instance, judges must explain in writing why they would release a dependent charged with a felony offense — but only when the dependent is on probation for a prior offense. That's different from Virginia, where the law requires a magistrate to communicate the release of someone charged with an act of violence to an attorney of the commonwealth but doesn't call for a written explanation.
The Republican bill would cut assistance to several federal grants unless states pass requirements to publish data on judges' pretrial decisions, prohibit cashless bail without a threat-assessment hearing and publish data on repeat offenders.
States would have 18 months to implement the text's requirement after the bill’s enactment.
The bill’s unveiling comes on the heels of several acts of violence committed by repeat offenders — like Decarlos Brown’s murder of Iryna Zarutska aboard a light rail in Charlotte, N.C. Brown had been arrested 14 times in the lead up to the August attack. More recently, a repeat offender by the name of Lawrence Reed set a woman on fire on Monday in Chicago after more than 70 prior arrests.
As an example of a grant targeted by the bill, the act would cut funding provided by Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program by 15% for states that don’t meet the bill’s requirements. The JAG funding supplements existing law-enforcement activity.
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee on March 25, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In similar fashion, the bill’s 21 sponsors hope to create a nationwide standard for pretrial releases.
"North Carolina has seen too many cases where violent repeat offenders walk out of court on unsecured bonds and end up hurting more people. The murder of Iryna Zarutska was one of the clearest reminders that the system isn’t protecting the public the way it should," Harrigan said.
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"This bill brings accountability to the states that receive federal crime-fighting dollars," he added.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-gop-bill-targets-funding-states-lenient-bail-policies