Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025 Summary **What the bill would do:** This bill would restrict how the federal government prosecutes people charged with crimes related to political protests. Specifically, it would prohibit holding people in jail before trial if they're charged with a "political protest offense" (a federal crime arising from protest activities that isn't violent), require their trials to begin within 70 days of charges, and encourage judges to sentence them according to minimum sentencing guidelines.
The bill also includes broader restrictions on federal criminal investigations and prosecutions beyond just protest-related cases. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects individuals arrested for federal crimes connected to protests, along with federal prosecutors, courts, and law enforcement agencies that investigate federal crimes. **Current status:** The bill (HR 277) was introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House. It has not advanced to become law. **Note:** The summary provided was incomplete, so some details about broader changes to federal prosecutions weren't fully specified.
CRS Official Summary
Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025This bill limits certain actions by the federal government related to the criminal prosecution and sentencing of individuals who are charged with a political protest offense. A political protest offense is a federal criminal offense that arises out of protest activities and is not a crime of violence. The bill also makes other changes that apply more broadly to curtail certain investigations and prosecutions of federal criminal offenses.With respect to individuals who are charged with a political protest offense, the billprohibits pretrial detention, generally requires the federal criminal trial to begin within 70 days of being charged or making an initial appearance before the court, andexpresses the sense of Congress that the sentence imposed should be consistent with the minimum sentence provided by the guideline range applicable to the defendant.With respect to investigations and prosecutions of federal criminal offenses more broadly, the billmakes the United States potentially liable for malicious overprosecution committed by federal investigative or law enforcement officers,limits the use of a national security authority (e.g., the Central Intelligence Agency) against a U.S. citizen,requires federal agencies to disclose whether the United States is or was investigating or surveilling a U.S. citizen when that information is requested under the Freedom of Information Act, and allows a defendant on trial for a criminal offense in the District of Columbia to change the venue of the trial to the U.S. district court that covers his or her primary residence.
Latest Action
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.