Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act of 2025

Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act

This bill establishes and increases mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for specified crimes in the District of Columbia.

First, the bill mandates a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder (currently, the mandatory minimum sentence is 30 years imprisonment and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment without parole). The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the sentencing of individuals under the age of 18 to life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder.

The bill also establishes a mandatory minimum sentence of

• 10 years imprisonment for second-degree murder,
• 10 years imprisonment for kidnapping,
• 25 years imprisonment for first- degree sexual abuse, and
• 25 years imprisonment for rape. 

Finally, the bill increases the mandatory minimum sentence for

• first-degree burglary from 5 years to 10 years imprisonment,
• unarmed carjacking from 7 years to 10 years imprisonment,
• armed carjacking from 15 years to 20 years imprisonment, and
• rape with a prior conviction of a crime of violence from 7 years to 30 years imprisonment.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5172 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5172

   To increase the mandatory minimum sentences applicable to certain 
      crimes in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 2025

   Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself and Mr. Donalds) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
                           Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To increase the mandatory minimum sentences applicable to certain 
      crimes in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. 
Streets Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES FOR CERTAIN CRIMES IN 
              DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

    (a) First Degree Murder.--
            (1) Mandatory life imprisonment.--Section 801 of the Act to 
        establish a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved 
        March 3, 1901 (sec. 22-2104, D.C. Official Code) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``not less than 
                30 years'' and all that follows and inserting ``life 
                imprisonment without release.''; and
                    (B) by striking subsection (b).
            (2) Conforming amendment relating to sentencing 
        procedure.--Section 801a of the Act to establish a code of law 
        for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (sec. 22-
        2104.01, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.
            (3) Conforming amendment relating to conditions for 
        imposition of sentence in excess of 60 years.--Section 3a(b-
        2)(1) of the Act to establish a Board of Indeterminate Sentence 
        and Parole for the District of Columbia and to determine its 
        functions, and for other purposes, approved July 15, 1932 (sec. 
        24-403.01(b-2)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking 
        ``in excess of 60 years for first degree murder or first degree 
        murder while armed,''.
    (b) Second Degree Murder.--Section 801(c) of the Act to establish a 
code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (sec. 
22-2104(c), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``not more than 
life'' and inserting ``not less than 10 years or more than life''.
    (c) Rape and First Degree Sexual Abuse.--Section 801a of the Act to 
establish a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 
1901 (sec. 22-2104.01, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.
            (1) Mandatory minimum for rape.--Section 3(b) of the Act to 
        establish a Board of Indeterminate Sentence and Parole for the 
        District of Columbia and to determine its functions, and for 
        other purposes, approved July 15, 1932 (sec. 24-403(b), D.C. 
        Official Code) is amended by striking ``shall not be less than 
        7 years if the violation occurs after the person has been 
        convicted in the District of Columbia or elsewhere of a crime 
        of violence, as so defined'' and inserting ``shall be not less 
        than 25 years or, if the violation occurs after the person has 
        been convicted in the District of Columbia or elsewhere of a 
        crime of violence, as so defined, shall be not less than 30 
        years''.
            (2) Mandatory minimum for first degree sexual abuse.--
        Section 201(a) of the Anti-Sexual Abuse Act of 1994 (sec. 22-
        3002(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``for any 
        term of years or life'' and inserting ``for a term of not less 
        than 25 years or more than life''.
            (3) Removal of requirement of aggravating circumstances for 
        imposition of sentence in excess of 30 years.--Section 201(b) 
        of the Anti-Sexual Abuse Act of 1994 (sec. 22-3002(b), D.C. 
        Official Code) is amended by striking ``The court may impose'' 
        and inserting ``Except in the case of a sentence imposed under 
        subsection (a) or imposed on a person convicted of rape 
        pursuant to section 3(b) of the Act to establish a Board of 
        Indeterminate Sentence and Parole for the District of Columbia 
        and to determine its functions, and for other purposes, 
        approved July 15, 1932, the court may impose''.
    (d) Kidnaping.--Section 812 of the Act to establish a code of law 
for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (sec. 22-2001, 
D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``not more than 30 years'' 
and inserting ``not less than 10 years or more than 30 years''.
    (e) Car Jacking.--
            (1) Unarmed.--Section 811a(a)(2) of the Act to establish a 
        code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 
        1901 (sec. 22-2803(a)(2), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
        striking ``not less than 7 years'' and inserting ``not less 
        than 10 years''.
            (2) Armed.--Section 811a(b)(2) of such Act (sec. 22-
        2803(b)(2), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``not 
        less than 15 years'' and inserting ``not less than 20 years''.
    (f) First Degree Burglary.--Section 823(a) of the Act to establish 
a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 
(sec. 22-801(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``not less 
than 5 years'' and inserting ``not less than 10 years''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to individuals charged on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act with an offense to which such an amendment applies.
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