119th Congress Crime and Law Enforcement
H.R. 59: Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025
In Committee
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill establishes a default mens rea standard (i.e., state of mind requirement) for federal criminal offenses—statutory and regulatory—that lack an explicit standard.
The government must generally prove that a defendant acted knowingly with respect to each element of an offense for which the text does not specify a state of mind.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Andrew Ogles R-TNOriginal
- Chip Roy R-TX
Who scored on this bill
- 1Andy Biggs SponsorIntroduced, marked up2 events+12
See all scorers and every scoring event
Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
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History
- Introduced in the House by Andy Biggs.
Show the full action history (4 actions)
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 13.
- Introduced in House
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.