Congress mandates public list of jurisdictions allowing cashless bail

What it does

This bill requires the Attorney General to publish an annual list of states and local jurisdictions that allow cashless bail (release on personal recognizance or unsecured bonds) for serious crimes including violent offenses, sexual crimes, and public-disorder offenses. The list is meant to make bail practices transparent and publicly available.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandatory public-disclosure requirement. It does not change bail law, impose new restrictions, or create new criminal penalties—it simply mandates that the Attorney General compile and publish information about existing state and local bail practices.

What the text implies

• The bill defines 'covered offense' by reference to AG discretion ('offenses the Attorney General determines pose a clear threat'), creating potential for inconsistent or shifting categorization across administrations and years.
• Publication of jurisdictions permitting cashless bail may create political pressure on local prosecutors and judges, potentially influencing bail-setting practices independent of legislative change.
• The list may be used by advocacy groups, media, or political actors to target specific jurisdictions for bail-policy reform campaigns, amplifying the transparency effect beyond mere information provision.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill increases transparency by requiring public disclosure of bail practices across jurisdictions, allowing citizens and advocates to see which areas permit cashless bail for serious crimes and to evaluate bail policy effectiveness. Transparency itself strengthens democratic accountability, though the bill does not change bail law or restrict any jurisdiction's authority.

Named in the bill

Attorney General, States, Local governments, Department of Justice

Where it stands

23 cosponsors: 23 Republicans.

• Sep 30, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Sep 30, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
• Dec 18, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Dec 18, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote”
• May 14, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 308 - 116 (Roll no. 171).”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $535,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 8 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Mark Harris, the sponsor, reported $190,505 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Southern Poverty Law Center, Inc. — $480,000 on 1 filing
• The Bail Project, Inc. — $40,000 on 2 filings
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (nacdl) — $15,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 17, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.