Federal Advocacy

2024

Letter to the Senate: Oppose Senate Joint Resolution 47 and Preserve the Successful CARES Act Home Confinement Program (Senate) (April 8)

Inclusion of the RESTORE Act in the 2024 Farm Bill: Repeal SNAP Drug Felony Ban (Senate/House Agricultural Committees) (March 4)

Letter to the Biden Administration: Rescheduling Cannabis to Schedule III Under the CSA (White House) (February 22)

2023

Kenneth P. Thompson Begin Again Act (Senate/House) (July 26)

Criminal Justice Reform Bills 2023: Safer Detention Act and Terry Technical Act (Senate) (April 20)

The Reentry Act of 2023 (Senate/House) (March 30)

Letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission: Public Comment on the Proposed Amendment to the Compassionate Release Policy Statement (USSC) (March 14)

2022

The State Justice Improvement Act of 2021 (Senate/House)(April 5)

2021

The Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2021 (House)(October 27)

Criminal Justice Package Endorsement: COVID-19 Safer Detention Act, First Step Implementation Act, and Prohibiting Punishment of Prohibited Conduct Act (Senate)(October 8)

BOP Reform Caucus Endorsement (Congress)(October 5)

Letter to President Biden: Grant Clemency to All Individuals Placed on Home Confinement Pursuant the CARES Act (White House)(September 24)

The Emergency GRACE Act of 2021 (Senate)(July 29)

The Kenneth P. Thompson Begin Again Act of 2021 (Senate)(July 28)(Press Release)

The EQUAL Act of 2021 (House)(July 22)

Letter to U.S. Department of Justice: Support for Granting Clemency to Individuals Placed on Home Confinement Pursuant the CARES Act (DOJ)(July 9)

The Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 (Senate)(July 13)

The Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 (House)(June 30)

The EQUAL Act & Smarter Sentencing Act of 2021 (Senate)(June 22)

See also our statement submitted to Senate Judiciary Committee (Hearing on the EQUAL Act)(June 22)

Joint Letter to U.S. Department of Justice: Request to Reissue and Update Advisory to Eliminate Juvenile Fees and Fines (DOJ)(June 8)

The First Step Implementation Act of 2021 (Senate)(May 17)

See also FAMM’s Congressional briefing where LEL’s Executive Director Ron Serpas expresses support for the First Step Implementation Act of 2021 and COVID-19 Safer Detention Act of 2021.

The Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020 (House)(January 6)

2020

The REAL Act, FY21 (House)(December 10)

The REAL Act, FY21 (Senate)(December 10)

The Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020 (Senate)(December 3)

The Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2020 (November 12)

The Community-Based Response Act of 2020 (Senate)(November 12)

The Community-Based Response Act of 2020 (House)(November 12)

Written Testimony to the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (June 23)

Written Testimony to the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (June 9 ); See the transcript of Serpas’s testimony.

The COVID-19 Safer Detention Act of 2020 (August)

The Emergency GRACE Act of 2020 (August)

Joined the Free to Drive Campaign’s Letter of Support: Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020

2019

The RE-ENTER Act of 2019 (December)

The First Step Act Funding (September)

The REAL Act (House)(August)

The REAL Act (Senate)(August)

2018

FIRST STEP Act (November)

FIRST STEP Act (July)

Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (July)

Redemption Act (April)

CORRECTIONS Act (April)

Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017 (April)

See related press release here.

Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017 (February)

2017

Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017 (September)

2016

Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (May)

See LEL’s Wisconsin membership in support of Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act here.