119-HR-2159 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HR 2159 Count the Crimes to Cut Act
H.R. 2159 (“Count the Crimes to Cut Act”) would require the Justice Department and major federal agencies to catalogue every federal crime and regulation carrying criminal penalties, report recent enforcement figures and mens rea standards, and publish a free, public index; it passed the House on December 1, 2025 and now heads to the Senate.
Headline Summary
A bipartisan House bill would make the federal government list every crime on the books—and the criminal regulations too—then post a public, searchable index so people can see what’s illegal and how often it’s enforced.
What It Does
Purpose: Create a complete inventory of federal crimes and criminally enforceable regulations, along with key details, and publish it online for the public.
- Requires the Attorney General to list all federal statutory crimes, their elements, maximum penalties, how many times DOJ prosecuted each in the past 15 years, and the required mental state (mens rea).
- Requires dozens of federal agencies to list their criminally enforceable regulations, the penalties, how many violations they referred to DOJ over the past 15 years, and the mens rea standard.
- Deadlines: reports due within 1 year of enactment; free, public indexes posted online within 2 years.
- What it does not do: it doesn’t create or repeal crimes, change penalties, or authorize new funding.
Who’s For It
- Bipartisan sponsors in the House: led by Rep. Chip Roy (R‑TX) with original co-sponsors Rep. Lucy McBath (D‑GA), Rep. Andy Biggs (R‑AZ), and Rep. Steve Cohen (D‑TN).
- Backers’ argument: transparency and accountability—citizens should be able to see all federal crimes in one place; data on prosecutions and referrals will help target reforms and reduce accidental violations.
- Likely supporters: good‑government and open‑data advocates; some criminal‑justice reform and business compliance groups that want clearer rules and easier compliance.
Who’s Against It
- No formal opposition recorded during House passage by voice vote, which often signals broad support.
- Potential concerns raised in similar debates: the reporting workload on agencies; risk that focusing on counts could be misread as a push to weaken enforcement; and the challenge of keeping the index continuously up to date without added resources.
What’s Next
Status as of December 2, 2025: The bill passed the U.S. House on December 1, 2025 under suspension of the rules (voice vote). It now goes to the Senate, where it will be assigned to a committee—likely Judiciary—before any floor consideration.
Discussion