This bill requires prosecutors in jurisdictions over 360,000 people receiving Byrne JAG funds to report data on criminal case outcomes for serious offenses. Reports must cover referrals, declinations, plea agreements, and policy-based non-prosecutions. Compliant prosecutors receive priority JAG funding. The bill also prohibits JAG funds to jurisdictions that ban cash bail for firearm offenses.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill requires prosecutors in jurisdictions over 360,000 people receiving Byrne JAG funds to report data on criminal case outcomes for serious offenses. Reports must cover referrals, declinations, plea agreements, and policy-based non-prosecutions. Compliant prosecutors receive priority JAG funding. The bill also prohibits JAG funds to jurisdictions that ban cash bail for firearm offenses.
Last updated: 1/4/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act of 2025 </strong></p><p>This bill requires certain state and local prosecutors to report data on criminal referrals and outcomes of cases involving murder or non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson, or any offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm.</p><p>The reporting requirement applies to state and local prosecutors in a jurisdiction that has 360,000 or more persons and receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. The report must contain data on</p><ul><li>cases referred for prosecution,</li><li>cases the prosecutor declined to prosecute or refer for diversion,</li><li>cases for which the prosecutor declined to reach a plea agreement,</li><li>cases that resulted in a plea agreement or referral for diversion, and</li><li>offenses the prosecutor did not prosecute due to an internal policy.</li></ul><p>If a state or local prosecutor complies with these requirements, the bill requires (1) the Department of Justice to give priority in disbursing Byrne JAG program funds to the local government served by the prosecutor, and (2) the local government to ensure that the prosecutor receives a portion of the funds.</p><p>Additionally, the bill prohibits states and local governments from receiving funds under the Byrne JAG program if they have in effect a policy that prohibits the use of cash bail for a defendant in a case involving the illegal use or illegal possession of a firearm.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Mandatory reporting for prosecutors in large jurisdictions
Prohibits JAG funds to jurisdictions banning cash bail for gun crimes
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This legislation targets so-called progressive prosecutors by requiring transparency on prosecution decisions and penalizing jurisdictions that eliminate cash bail for firearm offenses. Supporters argue it promotes public safety accountability. Critics contend it interferes with local prosecutorial discretion and uses federal funding as leverage to impose policy preferences on local jurisdictions.