Logan's Law
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8611
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-30: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-25T08:08:15Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation, titled Logan's Law (H.R. 8611), aims to improve public safety by creating a national, publicly accessible online database of individuals convicted of certain violent crimes. It requires federal and state governments to share relevant criminal records and promotes better data sharing among states.
Key Provisions
- Definitions:
- Qualifying conviction: A conviction for an offense punishable by more than 180 days in prison that involves (or risks) physical force against a person or property. Excludes convictions that are expunged (erased from records), vacated (overturned), pardoned, or otherwise invalidated.
- Includes federal, state (including D.C., territories), and tribal convictions.
- Violent Criminal Offender Database (Title I):
- The U.S. Attorney General must establish the database within 180 days of enactment.
- It includes federal and state records, uses FBI data where possible, is free and public.
- Searchable by name, address, date of birth, sex, race, nationality, citizenship, conviction type, probation status, jurisdiction, penalties imposed, plea/trial details, judge, and prosecutor.
- Updated at least quarterly; removes individuals if their conviction no longer qualifies.
- Public must be notified of its availability.
- State Participation (Title I):
- States receiving Byrne JAG grants (federal funding for local law enforcement under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act) must submit qualifying conviction data within 180 days and ongoing.
- Non-compliant states lose grants; funds may go directly to local governments.
- Data Sharing Report (Title II):
- Attorney General submits a report to Congress within 180 days describing current criminal record sharing (e.g., fingerprints, warrants), barriers, and recommendations to improve sharing between states and federal agencies to protect the public and prevent lenient sentencing for repeat offenders.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates a new national public database of violent offenders, which does not currently exist at this scale or accessibility.
- Links Byrne JAG grant funding to mandatory data submission, introducing penalties for non-compliance (previously no such requirement).
- Mandates a federal report on interstate data sharing, potentially leading to future laws or processes to reduce gaps in criminal record access.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI bear costs and responsibilities for building, maintaining, and updating the database. States and tribes must integrate systems for data submission, risking loss of federal grants.
- Citizens: Enhances public access to information on violent offenders (e.g., for personal safety, hiring, housing), but exposes personal details of convicts, potentially aiding prevention of recidivism.
- No direct impacts on international relations noted.
- Could increase administrative burdens on courts and law enforcement for data reporting.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Individuals with qualifying convictions: Their records become publicly searchable, affecting privacy, employment, housing, and reintegration.
- General public: Gains free access to offender information for safety.
- States, local governments, and tribal organizations: Required to submit data; risk grant losses if non-compliant.
- Federal agencies (DOJ, FBI): Responsible for database operations and reporting.
- Law enforcement and prosecutors: Benefit from improved data sharing to track repeat offenders.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Privacy concerns: Public access to sensitive details (e.g., address, race) may raise challenges under privacy laws or the Constitution's protections against unreasonable disclosures, though criminal records are often public.
- Federalism issues: Ties federal grants to state compliance, potentially pressuring states (a common "carrot-and-stick" approach upheld in cases like highway funding conditions).
- Equity considerations: Search fields like race/nationality could invite scrutiny for bias, though aimed at public safety.
- Politically positions as a "tough-on-crime" measure, emphasizing transparency without mandating sentence changes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (11)
Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10], Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8], Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5], Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14], Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38], Rep. Knott, Brad [R-NC-13], Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11], Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1], Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6], Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6], Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-30: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-04-30: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-30: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Logan's Law — issued 2026-04-30 — PDF (8 pages)