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HR 5140HRES 707119th CongressIntroduced
To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
Introduced: Sep 4, 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26] (R-Texas)
Civil Rights & Justice
Chamber Versions:
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
This bill would lower the age at which a minor in the District of Columbia can be moved out of the juvenile/family court system and tried as an adult for certain offenses. Specifically, it reduces the age to 14 for (1) excluding a juvenile from family court jurisdiction (instead of 16) and (2) transferring a juvenile to criminal (adult) proceedings (instead of 15 or 16, depending on the provision). The changes would apply to offenses committed after the bill’s enactment. In effect, 14-year-old youths could be subject to adult criminal processing for certain crimes, rather than remaining within the juvenile justice system.
Key Points
- 1Lowers the age for excluding a minor from family court jurisdiction to 14 (from 16).
- 2Lowers the ages for transferring a minor to criminal proceedings to 14 (from 15 or 16, depending on the provision).
- 3Amends two sections of the District of Columbia Official Code: 16-2301 and 16-2307(a).
- 4Applies prospectively to offenses committed after enactment (not retroactive).
- 5Phrase “certain criminal offenses” indicates not all crimes, but specific offenses would be eligible for adult processing under the new age thresholds.
Impact Areas
Primary group/area affected: Minors in DC, particularly ages 14–15, and their families; the DC juvenile and criminal court systems; prosecutors and defense attorneys handling juvenile-to-adult transitions.Secondary group/area affected: Victims and community safety considerations, as cases may move to adult court sooner; law enforcement and court staffing/training needs for handling younger individuals in adult proceedings.Additional impacts: Potential budgetary and resource implications for DC’s judiciary and juvenile services; civil rights and due-process considerations for very young defendants; potential disparate impacts by age, race, or geography, given existing juvenile-justice disparities.
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