End Endless Criminal Statutes Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 98
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-10: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 14.
- Last Updated
- 2025-08-29T16:05:17Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "End Endless Criminal Statutes Act" (H.R. 98) aims to eliminate outdated and unnecessary federal criminal offenses from U.S. law. It targets minor or archaic rules that contribute to over-criminalization—meaning the expansion of criminal laws beyond what is needed for serious wrongdoing—by repealing or amending specific statutes. The bill's findings highlight examples of such offenses, like writing a small check or improper handling of produce, to justify reducing the federal criminal code.
Key Provisions
- Findings Section (Sec. 2): Congress identifies 10 examples of unnecessary criminal penalties, including:
- Writing a check for less than $1.
- Selling or possessing colored margarine without proper packaging or labeling.
- Discarding produce without good reason or falsely reporting it.
- Removing postage stamps from mail.
- Creating or using custom-designed metal coins.
- Wearing U.S. Postal Service letter carrier uniforms.
- Detaining a seaman's (sailor's) clothing.
- Boarding a ship before it fully arrives at port.
- Placing items in a mailbox without postage.
- Sledding on Capitol grounds when prohibited.
- Repeals and Amendments (Sec. 3): Directly removes or modifies laws related to the findings:
- Fully repeals sections on small checks (18 U.S.C. § 336), margarine rules (21 U.S.C. § 347(b)-(d)), produce handling (7 U.S.C. § 491), detaining seaman's clothing (46 U.S.C. § 11110), boarding vessels (18 U.S.C. § 2279), mailbox misuse (18 U.S.C. § 1725), and Capitol grounds activities (2 U.S.C. § 1963).
- Amends mail stamp removal (18 U.S.C. § 1720) to eliminate the criminal penalty.
- Amends coin-making rules (18 U.S.C. § 486) to remove bans on "original design" coins.
- Uniform Intent Requirement (Sec. 4): Updates the law on wearing postal uniforms (18 U.S.C. § 1730) to require proof of intent to commit a crime (e.g., fraud or impersonation) before it can be prosecuted, narrowing the scope of the offense.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Removes entire criminal provisions that are seen as relics from earlier eras, such as those from the early 20th century related to agriculture, mail, shipping, and public property.
- Shifts some offenses from strict liability (punishable regardless of intent) to requiring deliberate wrongdoing, making enforcement more targeted.
- Streamlines the U.S. Code by deleting obsolete language, potentially reducing the overall size of the federal criminal code, which currently includes thousands of offenses.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: Reduces the risk of federal prosecution for trivial actions, making everyday activities (e.g., mailing unstamped items or casual coin collecting) less legally risky and promoting fairness in the justice system.
- On Government Agencies: Eases burdens on agencies like the Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by eliminating enforcement of outdated rules, allowing focus on serious crimes. Could save resources on prosecutions and compliance monitoring.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though changes to shipping-related rules (e.g., boarding vessels) might slightly simplify port operations involving foreign ships without altering broader trade or maritime policies.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- General Public and Businesses: Benefit from fewer minor federal crimes, especially small farmers (produce rules), food sellers (margarine), and hobbyists (coins or uniforms).
- Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: DOJ and USPS gain clarity on priorities, reducing workload for negligible cases.
- Congress and Policymakers: Encourages ongoing review of federal laws to prevent "endless" expansion of the criminal code.
- Maritime and Postal Workers: Affected by changes to seaman and mail provisions, potentially improving operational flexibility.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Promotes proportionality in criminal law by eliminating mens rea-free (no-intent-required) offenses, aligning with modern due process standards under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment, which protects against arbitrary punishment.
- Constitutional: No direct challenges, but it supports separation of powers by having Congress clean up its own outdated statutes, avoiding judicial burdens from rarely enforced laws.
- Political: Signals a push for deregulation and criminal justice reform, appealing to conservatives concerned with government overreach (e.g., sponsor Rep. Biggs is known for limited-government views). Could inspire similar bills to address broader over-criminalization debates, though critics might argue it overlooks niche protections (e.g., for public property).
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-10: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 14.
- 2025-06-10: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2025-01-03: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- End Endless Criminal Statutes Act — issued 2025-01-03 — PDF (4 pages)