House Republicans unveil bill to penalize states that release repeat offenders

FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican is preparing to crack down on states where he says judges are able to releasing violent and repeat offenders with little transparency or explanation.

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., who introduced the No Free Pass for Felons Act on Friday, outlined the federal incentives the bill would impose.

“Before a violent defendant is released, a judge must hold a hearing on actual dangerousness and formally explain why this decision keeps the community safe,” Harrigan said.

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Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., poses for a photo on the House steps after freshmen members of Congress posed for their class photo on the House steps of the Capitol on Nov. 15, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

States have a range of different requirements for pretrial releases, leading to uneven disparity across the country. In North Carolina, for example, judges must explain in writing why they would release a dependent charged with a crime – but only when the dependent is on probation for a prior offense. This is different from Virginia, where the law requires a magistrate to communicate the release of a person charged with an act of violence to a Commonwealth’s Attorney, but does not require a written explanation.

The Republican bill would cut aid for several federal grants unless states adopt a requirement to publish data on judges’ decisions before trial, ban cashless bail without a threat assessment hearing and publish data on repeat offenders.

States would have 18 months to implement the text’s requirements after the bill is signed into law.

The bill was unveiled after several violent acts by repeat offenders – such as the alleged murder of Iryna Zarutska by Decarlos Brown aboard a streetcar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brown had been arrested 14 times before the August attack.

Most recently, a repeat offender named Lawrence Reed allegedly set a woman on fire Monday in Chicago after more than 70 prior arrests.

As an example of a grant targeted by the bill, the legislation would reduce by 15 percent the funding provided by the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program for states that do not meet the bill’s requirements. JAG funding supplements existing law enforcement activities.

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Iryna Zarutska cowers as her attacker dominates her. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)

Among other developments, the Bureau of Justice Assistance Program highlighted the development of a police center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as an example of the JAG program’s successes. The node helps police communicate in real time between different departments.

Harrigan said the bill would prevent rewarding states that make it easier to release offenders with long histories of violence.

“If a state does not adopt basic public safety requirements or report how often violent offenders are released and rearrested, taxpayers should not be expected to continue funding the consequences,” Harrigan said.

“Most families simply want safer streets and a justice system that prioritizes their safety. This bill delivers on that expectation with common sense, transparency, and a commitment to protecting the people who rely on us to get it right.

In the past, the government has also threatened to withhold funding from states to incentivize them to meet state-level requirements. In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Instead of setting a national requirement, the law conditioned some federal funds on the adoption at the state level of a minimum age of 21 for purchasing alcoholic beverages.

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Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., holds a news conference at the Republican National Committee on March 25, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Similarly, supporters of the bill hope to create a national 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 is one of the clearest reminders that the system is not protecting the public the way it should,” Harrigan said.

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“This bill requires states that receive federal funds to fight crime.”