H.R. 5242 explained  ·  119th Congress  ·  Pending in Congress

To repeal the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022 and the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act of 2016.

Create a free account or sign in to follow H.R. 5242 and get alerts. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement Create a free account or sign in to follow the Crime and Law Enforcement policy area and get alerts. ▲ 371 days since action Sponsor: David Kustoff, TN-08, R → Congress.gov

Cosponsors: 1 (0 D, 1 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-10

Introduced: 2025-09-10

Latest action (2025-10-14): Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 293.

What H.R. 5242 does, in plain terms

This bill repeals District of Columbia (DC) laws related to sealing and expunging criminal records, sentencing of individuals under age 18, and traffic enforcement measures. First, the bill repeals expanded eligibility in DC for sealing or expunging records of certain citations, charges, arrests, and criminal convictions. (An expunged record is erased; a sealed record may remain accessible to law enforcement but not the public.) The bill also repeals related enforcement provisions, including civil penalties against background check companies for reporting on sealed or expunged offenses. Next, the bill reinstates mandatory minimum sentences and life imprisonment (without the possibility of parole or release) for individuals under age 18 at the time an offense was committed. The bill also eliminates requirements for the Metropolitan Police Department to provide records to the DC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) and for the Department of Corrections to provide the CJCC with access to individuals under age 21 for a report on youth crime. Further, the bill repeals a legal process by which a defendant who was convicted as an adult and who was under the age of 18 at the time the offense was committed may seek a reduced sentence. Additionally, the bill eliminates DC's automated traffic enforcement systems for the detection of moving violations (e.g., speed cameras), including vehicle owners' liability to pay fines for such violations. The bill also repeals a DC law prohibiting right turns at red traffic signals on DC streets.

Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.

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