Committee advances cashless-bail reporting bill amid partisan debate over state authority

Rep. Mr. Harris (Representative from North Carolina) introduced HR 5625, the Cashless Bail Reporting Act, describing it as a transparency measure requiring the Attorney General to publish a list of state and local jurisdictions that permit pretrial release of persons charged with covered offenses without cash-secured bail. Harris said the bill was inspired by local incidents he cited and by an executive order and stressed that citizens should be able to see which jurisdictions had adopted cashless pretrial policies.

The bill prompted extended partisan debate. Supporters, including the committee’s Ranking Member, described HR 5625 as a narrow, information-gathering step that could help public understanding and policy analysis. Opponents said compiling the list would impose an administrative burden on the Attorney General and local jurisdictions (one speaker estimated 18,000 local and state jurisdictions), argued the measure intruded on states' reserved police powers under the Tenth Amendment, and called it a partisan "hit list" targeting Democratic jurisdictions.

Members exchanged examples of individual tragedies and local experiences — the sponsor referenced the murder of Irina Zarutska as motivating local hearings — and debated whether the federal government should codify an executive-order directive. Several members suggested the committee should instead hold hearings and study bail reform more broadly. An amendment in the nature of a substitute was offered to narrow the bill’s scope to jurisdictions that use cashless bail specifically for serious violent offenses and public disorder crimes; the amendment was adopted and the committee voted to report the bill favorably by voice vote. Members were given two days to submit views.

Next steps: The committee ordered HR 5625 to be reported favorably; staff will prepare a consolidated amendment and members may submit views within two days.