To authorize sentencing enhancements for certain criminal offenses directed by or coordinated with foreign governments.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateMs. Hassan (for herself, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Banks, and Ms. …
Passed Senate (inferred from es version)
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill (DETERRENCE Act) creates sentencing enhancements for federal crimes committed at the direction of or in coordination with foreign governments. It adds 5-10 extra years of potential prison time for crimes including kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, attacks on federal officials and their families, and threats against the President or staff.
Who Benefits and How
Federal officials and their families benefit from increased deterrence against foreign-government-directed attacks. National security is strengthened by treating foreign-directed crimes more severely. Prosecutors gain additional tools to seek longer sentences for transnational repression.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Individuals who commit federal crimes at the direction of foreign governments face significantly longer sentences. Defense attorneys must address the foreign coordination element. Courts must determine whether crimes were foreign-directed, adding complexity to proceedings.
Key Provisions
- Kidnapping: +10 years if foreign-directed, +5 years for attempts
- Murder-for-hire: +5 years, or +10 years if injury results
- Stalking: +5 years if bodily injury/weapon/minor victim, +10 years if death
- Attacks on federal officials: +10 years
- Presidential threats/attacks: +10 years
- All enhancements require knowledge of foreign government direction/coordination
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Authorizes enhanced prison sentences of 5-10 additional years for various federal crimes (kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, attacking federal officials, etc.) when committed at the direction of or in coordination with a foreign government.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Address transnational repression by treating foreign-directed crimes as aggravated offenses"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology