Legislative status and background
S 3649, titled the "First Step Act," was introduced in the Senate on November 15, 2018, by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The bill, which falls under the policy area of Judiciary and Civil Rights, has garnered significant bipartisan support, with 42 cosponsors including Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
As of November 26, 2018, the bill has been read twice and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders (Calendar No. 674). The legislative record includes 88 sections of text and references to 21 related bills, such as the "Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act of 2017."
Proposed policy changes
The First Step Act proposes comprehensive amendments to federal criminal justice and prison policies. Key provisions include:
Risk Assessment: Requiring the Department of Justice to implement a risk and needs assessment system through the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
Sentencing Reform: Reducing mandatory minimum prison terms for certain nonviolent repeat drug offenses and broadening the "safety valve" to allow for sentences below mandatory minimums for specific cooperative offenders.
Retroactivity: Making the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive.
Prisoner Welfare: Limiting the use of restraints on pregnant or postpartum prisoners and requiring that inmates be placed within 500 miles of their primary residence.
Correctional Operations: Allowing federal correctional officers to carry concealed firearms on BOP premises outside of secure perimeters and reauthorizing an elderly offender early release pilot program through fiscal year 2022.
Research and fiscal context
The bill’s text contains 88 sections and includes references to various statutory codes, most notably 21 U.S.C. 841 and the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. Analysis of the bill text identified 23 deadline-related signals and a total of $75 million in mentioned funding.
CBO and spending records
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued an estimate for an amendment in the nature of a substitute for S. 3649 on December 14, 2018. This estimate covers the potential direct spending and revenue effects of the proposal.
Additionally, USAspending records linked to the bill’s agency signals—specifically the Department of Homeland Security—show historical award data totaling $15.9 billion across 259 sampled awards. These records represent general agency spending context and are not indicative of direct fiscal impacts caused by the bill itself.
Sector and subject analysis
Legislative data indicates that the bill touches upon a wide range of sectors. Evidence matches were identified in the following areas:
Energy: References to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
Healthcare: Provisions regarding mental health and women's health.
Education: Mentions of higher education programs.
Defense: References to veterans of the Armed Forces within the prison population.
Labor and Housing: Provisions concerning inmate employment through Federal Prison Industries and definitions related to assisted living or intermediate care facilities under the National Housing Act.
The bill is associated with over 30 subject terms in the Congress.gov database, ranging from "Crime and Law Enforcement" to "Accounting and auditing" and "Advisory bodies."
