House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has voiced his support for H.R. 4922, known as the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act. The bill, introduced by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), aims to address rising juvenile crime rates in Washington, D.C.
Chairman Comer stated, "I support H.R. 4922, a bill providing common sense reforms to the District of Columbia criminal code."
He added, "It is clear to Members of the Committee and the public that D.C.’s soft-on-crime policies have failed to keep D.C. residents and visitors safe."
The legislation seeks to change how youth offenders are defined under the law by lowering the age from under twenty-five to under eighteen. "The D.C. CRIMES Act overturns targeted portions of the D.C. Council’s Youth Rehabilitation Act by amending the definition of a youth offender from a person under the age of twenty-five to under the age of eighteen," Comer said.
Comer emphasized current policy: "Currently, D.C. Code allows a criminal under the age of twenty-five to be given the same leniency that is afforded to minors." He continued, "This bill requires that we treat adult criminals as adults, like the rest of the country."
The proposed changes would also remove judicial discretion for sentencing youth offenders below minimum sentencing structures.
"Our capital cannot continue to let criminals freely roam the streets and expect this crime crisis to end," Comer remarked.
To improve transparency and data collection on juvenile crime, Comer noted another requirement: "As juvenile crime soars in the District, the bill also requires the D.C. Attorney General to create a publicly available website that better tracks juvenile crime data." He said this information will inform Congress, local officials, police, and residents about trends in juvenile offenses.
"Citizens of D.C. and visitors to our Nation’s Capital deserve to feel safe," Comer concluded. "I thank Representative Donalds for leading this effort again this Congress and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation."
James Comer has served in Congress representing Kentucky's 1st district since 2016 after succeeding Ed Whitfield (https://comer.house.gov/about). Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 until 2012 (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/C001108). Born in Carthage, Tennessee in 1972, he now resides in Tompkinsville at age 50. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993.
