Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety Federal Activity

The NCSL Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee represents state legislatures' interests to the federal government in various ways, including submitting testimonies for committee hearings, writing letters on pending federal legislation with positive or adverse state impact pursuant to Law and Criminal Justice policies, commenting on proposed federal agency actions, and filing amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court.

See below for our most recent activities in these areas.

Executive Orders and Agency Guidance

• Human Trafficking OVC Briefing Slides (Jan. 31, 2022)
• Presidential Executive Order on Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure (May 12, 2017)
• 2018 Budget Blueprint, Administration Budget Proposal (March 16, 2017)
• Summary of Executive Orders on Immigration. (Jan. 25, 2017)
• Department of Homeland Security Guidance on Immigration Executive Orders (March 6, 2017)
• Travel and Refugee Executive Order and Memorandum (March 7, 2017)

Letters

• Hill Highlights from the Law, Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee, State Federal Affairs Division (March 23, 2020)
• NCSL Action Alert - Differential Privacy and the Census (March 3, 2020)
• White House National Drug Control Strategy Letter. (Nov. 1, 2019)
• NCSL Joint Letter expressing appreciation in support of the State Cyber Resiliency Act (S. 1065 and H.R. 2130). (July 24, 2019)
• The Election Security Act-H.R. 2660 Bill Summary. (June 10, 2019)
• NCSL Joint Letter applauding stead fast support for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program and request that the Fiscal Year 2020 Committee, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill begin to return funding to the program that has been lost in recent years. (April 12, 2019)
• NCSL Letter in support of the “Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act of 2019,” (STATES Act). (April 4, 2019)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Senate Leaders in support of The "First Step Act". (Dec. 12, 2018)
• NCSL Letter regarding opposition to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed regulation on public charge. (Dec. 7, 2018)
• NCSL Joint coalition letter in Support of Byrne/JAG Criminal Justice Funding. (Nov. 5, 2018)
• NCSL Letter to Senate Leaders in Support of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and urging passage as part of the Senate's Federal Aviation Act (FAA) reauthorization legislation. (July 26, 2018)
• NCSL Letter  in support of the “Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act of 2018,” (STATES Act). (June 7, 2018)
• NCSL Letter to Senate Leaders urging the Senate to Support the Passage of S.2135, the “Fix NICS Act of 2017.”(March 14. 2018)
• NCSL Letter to Chief Counsel of the Regulatory Affairs Division regarding Draft National Mitigation Investment Strategy. (March 9, 2018) 
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Senate regarding Vice Chairman Patriclk Leahy's amendment to the Senate's fiscal year 2018 appropriations legislation restricting the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from unnecessarily interfering with state marijuana laws. (Jan. 18, 2018)
• NCSL Letter to Congressional Leaders regarding Support for the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act ("STOP Act"). (Nov. 29, 2017) 
• NCSL Letter Urging the House of Representatives to Provide Sufficient Funding for the 2020 Decennial Census.(Sept. 6, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee regarding S. 754, the "Cyber Scholarship Opportunities Act of 2017." (Aug. 1, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. House Leaders regarding H.R. 3003, the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act”. (June 29, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Senate Chair and Ranking Member regarding S. 1312 “Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017. (June 29, 2017)
• NCSL FY 2018 CJS Appropriations Support Letter. (May 16, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Congress to Sustain Emergency Management Grants. (April 21, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to FEMA regarding FEMA-2016-0003 Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Supplemental Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (April 12, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to U. S. House Judiciary Committee expressing concern to the consideration of H.R. 1188, the “Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2017.”  (March 21, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. House in Opposition to H.R. 1215 "Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017." (March 1, 2017)
• NCSL Letter to Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services regarding H R 2205. (Dec. 7, 2015)
• NCSL Letter to Senate Leaders in support of S. 2123 the bipartisan "Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015." (Corrections Act). (October 21, 2015)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Senate Leaders regarding S. 2146, the “Stop Sanctuary Cities Act” (October 20, 2015)
• NCSL Joint Letter to Members of Congress regarding H. R. 3009, Enforcement Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. (July 23, 2015)
• NCSL Letter to Senator Amy Klobuchar urging not to proceed with consideration of Amendment 1555 to Amendment 1463 on HR 1735, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, until additional research and investigation is made into the impact of this legislation on the states. (June 11, 2015)
• NCSL Joint Letter to Legislative Leaders regarding S. 178 “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act”. (May 15, 2015)
• NCSL Joint Letter to Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi regarding Immigration Enforcement Legislation. (February 10, 2015)
• NCSL Letter to Senator John Cornyn to express strong support of S. 178, the “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act”. (February 9, 2015)
• NCSL letter to chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing strong support for the Klobuchar/Cornyn anti-human trafficking package, which includes the, “Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act” (S. 2599) and an amended version of the, “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act” (S. 1738). (November 24, 2014)
• Letter to Senator John Cornyn in support for amendment clarifying the penalties for non-compliance in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). This amendment was ultimately picked up by Chairman Leahy making it a Leahy/Cornyn amendment and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, by a vote of 13-5.  (September 16, 2014)
• NCSL, NGA and CSG submitted a joint letter to Federal Communications Commission expressing opposition to petitions from Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wilson, North Carolina requesting preemption of state laws regulating the deployment of certain broadband networks. (August 29, 2104)
• NCSL submitted a letter to Federal Communications Commission outlining a legal argument to decline the petitions from Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wilson, North Carolina requesting preemption of state laws regulating the deployment of certain broadband networks. (August 28, 2014)
• Letter to Senator Amy Klobuchar expressing Support of S. 1733, the “Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2014” (July 9, 2014)
• Letter to Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Opposing the New Draft of Chemicals in Commerce Act (May 19, 2014)
• NCSL Testimony regarding Chemicals in Commerce Act-Discussion Draft (April 29, 2014)
• NCSL Letter to U.S. Representative Ted Poe regarding H.R. 3530 “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act” (March 28)
• NCSL Letter to Senator John Cornyn on S. 1738 “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act” (March 12, 2014)
• NCSL Letter to Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Chemicals in Commerce Act (March 10, 2014)
• NCSL comments on proposed 2014 ONDCP National Drug Control Strategy (Oct. 8, 2013)
• NCSL letter opposing preemptive House immigration legislation (June 25, 2013)
• NCSL comments on Human Trafficking Victim Services Plan (May 24, 2013)

Bill Summaries

• Senate Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (June 23, 2022)
• H. 3617 MORE Act Bill Summary ( April 5, 2022)
• The Election Security Act-H.R. 2660 Bill Summary. (June 10, 2019)
• American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, March 2019. See Summary.
• First Step Act Summary, December 14, 2018. See summary.
• Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation in the 115th Congress, June 16, 2017. See summary.
• Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security Summary, May 1, 2017. See summary.
• Background Summary on The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). (March 23, 2017)
• H.R. 5046 – “Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016”, Sponsor: Rep. James Sensenbrenner (WI), Status: Introduced 4/25/16; Passed House 5/12/16; Referred to Senate 5/16/16, Committee: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, June 2, 2016. See Summary.
• H.R. 5048 – “Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016”, Sponsor: Rep. Frank Guinta (NH), Status: Introduced 4/26/16; Passed House 5/10/16; Referred to Senate 5/11/16, Committee: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, June 2, 2016. See Summary.
• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, 2016, Senate Introduced Minibus December 16, 2015. See summary
• H.R. 3713, the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, December 2, 2015. See summary.
• H.R. 4003, the Regulatory Reporting Act of 2015, December 2, 2015. See summary.
• H.R. 400, the Fix the Footnotes Act of 2015, December 2, 2015. See summary.
• H.R. 4023, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2015, December 2, 2015. See summary.
• H.R. 4002, Criminal Code Improvement Act of 2015, November 20, 2015. See summary.
• Department of Justice Appropriations 2016, Senate Introduced Minibus, September 30, 2015, See summary.
• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, 2016. Senate Introduced Minibus September 30, 2015. See summary.
• H.R. 240, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015.Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 14, 2015 with amendments. Vote: 236 – 191. See summary.
• Section 2576a of Title 10, United States Code, "Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014" sponsored by Representative Henry C. Johnson (D - Georgia). See summary.
• HR 3530, “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2014” sponsored by Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas). See summary.
• HR 3610, “Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2013” sponsored by Representative Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) See summary.
• HR 3899, " Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014" sponsored by Representative James Sensenbrenner. See summary.
• S. 1738, "Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013" sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) is the companion bill to HR 3530 (as originally introduced). It contains a different funding mechanism to support state efforts in combating human trafficking. See summary
• S. 1733, "Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2013" sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar is the companion bill to HR 3610 (as originally introduced) contains an additional provision providing for the establishment of a national strategy to combat human trafficking. Under the provision the Attorney General will coordinate efforts to develop this strategy. See summary. 
• S. 1410, "Smarter Sentencing Act of 2014" sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin. See summary. 
• S. 2611, Helping Unaccompanied Minors and Alleviating National Emergency Act (HUMANE Act), Introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) July 15, 2014. See summary.
• TSCA Section by Section Discussion Draft on "Chemicals in Commerce Act". See summary.

Recent U.S. Supreme Court Cases With State Impact

• State and Local Legal Center (SLLC)

NCSL Comments

• NCSL Comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce Request for Public on Promoting Stakeholder Action Against Botnets and Other Automated Threats (RIN 0660-XC035). (July 13, 2017)
• NCSL Submission to the Natonal Institute of Standards & Technology on National Cybersecurity. (September 9, 2016)
• Summary of the Supplemental Guidelines for Juvenile Registration Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. (August 2, 2016)
• NCSL Comment on efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) to establish a disaster deductible for states and localities to receive disaster relief funds. (March 18, 2016)
• NCSL comments regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rule on Supplemental Applications Proposing Labeling Changes for Approved Drugs and Biological Products. (March 13, 2014)
• NCSL Comments on the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s proposed 2014 National Drug Control Strategy. (Oct. 8, 2013)