New federal felony for trespassing on military property—up to 10 years.
H.R. 4834 — GATE CRASHERS Act · Filed by Jodey Arrington (R-TX) · Introduced Aug 1, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new federal crime for trespassing on Department of Defense property that is clearly marked as closed or restricted. First-time offenders face up to 180 days in jail and/or fines; repeat offenders face escalating penalties up to 10 years imprisonment for a third or subsequent offense. The bill applies only to unauthorized entry onto DoD facilities within U.S. jurisdiction.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is the creation of a new federal trespass crime targeting DoD facilities. It is straightforward criminal legislation with no hidden riders or market beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- Escalating penalties (up to 10 years for third offense) may be disproportionate to trespass conduct and could result in felony records for repeat offenders, affecting employment and housing eligibility.
- The bill does not define 'clearly marked' — ambiguity in signage standards could lead to inconsistent enforcement and prosecutorial discretion.
- Federal prosecution of trespass may duplicate state/local remedies, creating overlapping jurisdiction and potential for forum shopping or inconsistent outcomes.
- The bill applies to 'any property' under DoD jurisdiction, potentially including leased or contractor-operated facilities, expanding the scope beyond government-owned installations.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill protects DoD facility security and deters trespass, which serves a legitimate public safety interest. However, it creates new federal criminal liability for conduct that may already be prosecutable under state trespass laws, potentially subjecting citizens to federal felony charges (up to 10 years) for repeated trespass, raising proportionality concerns and expanding federal criminal reach into traditionally local matters.
Named in the bill
Department of Defense, United States Code Title 18, Chapter 67 (Crimes Against the Government)
Where it stands
- Aug 1, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Aug 1, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,310 characters) on Aug 18, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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