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Committee advances Count the Crimes to Cut Act to inventory federal offenses
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Summary
The House Judiciary Committee voted to report HR 2159, the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, which would require a government inventory of federal criminal statutes and regulatory offenses to inform targeted reform.
The House Judiciary Committee voted to report HR 2159, the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, after members described the measure as a bipartisan first step toward identifying how many federal criminal offenses exist and which ones merit reform.
Representative Roy, sponsor of the bill, said the measure will require the Attorney General to compile a public report cataloging federal criminal offenses, their potential penalties, the mens rea (if any), and prosecutorial history. Roy argued that Congress and the public need reliable data before altering culpability standards across many statutes.
Supporters on both sides called the bill a necessary foundation for future reform. Representative Raskin echoed that an inventory is a pragmatic, bipartisan starting point and said it will allow Congress to make data‑driven decisions.
The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute and ordered HR 2159 reported favorably. The chair said the bill will be reported as a single substitute incorporating adopted amendments and staff is authorized to make technical changes.
Why it matters: Lawmakers and legal scholars have long debated the number of federal crimes and the proliferation of regulatory criminal penalties. A comprehensive federal inventory could underpin a targeted legislative reform agenda.
What's next: The committee ordered the bill reported favorably to the House. Members will have two days to submit views and staff will prepare the public index required by the legislation.
