First Step Act of 2018
Latest action. Became public lawWhat a bill becomes when enacted, numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-4 is the 4th law of the 119th Congress.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) No: 115-391.
First Step Act of 2018
TITLE I--RECIDIVISM REDUCTION
(Sec. 101) This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a risk and needs assessment system to evaluate the recidivism risk of prisoners; to guide housing, grouping, and program assignments; and to incentivize and reward participation in and completion of recidivism reduction programs and productive activities.
(Sec. 102) The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must implement the risk and needs assessment system at its facilities.
The bill modifies the computation of good time credit to allow a prisoner to earn a maximum of 54 days per year of the sentence imposed (instead of 54 days per year of the sentence actually served).
(Sec. 103) The Government Accountability Office must audit the use of the risk and needs assessment system at BOP facilities.
(Sec. 104) The bill authorizes funds for FY2019-FY2023 to establish and implement the risk and needs assessment system. Of the amount appropriated, 80% is reserved for use by the BOP for implementation.
(Sec. 105) The bill does not authorize prerelease custody or supervised release for an individual serving a prison term for a state offense.
(Sec. 106) It prohibits discrimination against a program, treatment, regimen, group, company, charity, person, or entity based on the fact that it may be or is faith-based.
(Sec. 107) The bill establishes the Independent Review Committee to help DOJ:
review existing prisoner risk and needs assessment systems,
develop recommendations regarding rehabilitative programs and productive activities,
research and analyze the effectiveness of such programs, and
review and validate the system.
TITLE II--BUREAU OF PRISONS SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE
Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act of 2018
(Sec. 202) The BOP must allow federal correctional officers to securely store and carry concealed firearms on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of a prison.
TITLE III--RESTRAINTS ON PREGNANT PRISONERS PROHIBITED
(Sec. 301) The bill limits the use of restraints on federal prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery.
The summary continues for 40 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Public Law" stage on December 21, 2018. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
This bill has been enacted. It is law.
The record's latest action, on December 21, 2018: Became Public Law No: 115-391.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced it on March 29, 2017, and 21 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 12 Democrats, 8 Republicans, 1 independent.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenatePassed
- HousePassed
- PresidentSigned into law