Official Bill Info

• Latest Action: Aug 03, 2010 Became Public Law No: 111-220.

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• Committee Assignment: Senate Judiciary

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• Committee Assignment: House Judiciary

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• Committee Assignment: House Energy and Commerce

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• Committee Assignment: House Judiciary - Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

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  This bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary - Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security committee.

Bill Statistics on OpenCongress

Contribution Data

OpenCongress Bill Summary

• Reduces disparities between sentences for crack versus powder cocaine offenses. Increases the amount of crack cocaine required for imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence and eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum for first-time possession.

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  Here's a summary from OpenCongress.org: Reduces disparities between sentences for crack versus powder cocaine offenses. Increases the amount of crack cocaine required for imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence and eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum for first-time possession.

Supporting Organizations

• National Urban League

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• Break the Chains, Communities of Color and the War on Drugs

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• American Federation of Government Employees

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• Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth

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• General Commission on Religion and Race, the United Methodist Church

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• Center for Law and Social Justice

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• United Methodist Church

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• Grassroots Leadership

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• Correctional Education Association

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• International Community Corrections Association

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• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

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• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

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• American Bar Association

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• Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

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• American Civil Liberties Union

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Most-commented sections of the bill text

Highest Rated User Comments

• On December 21, 2009, by Americafirst - Locally in WA in Dec. 2009 person A gets 13 years for the murder of a teenager. person B gets 30 years for importing drugs. (no violence or deaths in entire case) LOTS of things are screwed up in sentencing.

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  As noted by Americafirst, a user on OpenCongress.org, on December 21, 2009, "Locally in WA in Dec. 2009 person A gets 13 years for the murder of a teenager. person B gets 30 years for importing drugs. (no violence or deaths in entire case) LOTS of things are screwed up in sentencing. "
• On November 23, 2009, by jbird6813 - Please help me to undrstnd how u can introduce a bill tht openly ignores the inmates tht have been sitting behind bars for yrs due to racism and injustice of the federal judicial system. I believe that people lie, but numbers don't. The numbers clearly show that thousand of black men and women incarcerated in our federal prison system were sentenced under outrageous guidelines. Who are you to want to change a law because of statistics, but totally ignore the men and women doing the time who lives and families have been torn apart by the so-called justice system that make the statistical numbers. You are letting the world know that you know that the people incarcerated under the drug kingpin law of I believe 1986 is unjust, but u dnt care abt those men and women and they're families. U can only concentrate on the cases to come. Now, Now, we cant let all those people who have done the time for their crime and then some free. What would we do with all those people who we have wronged?

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  As noted by jbird6813, a user on OpenCongress.org, on November 23, 2009, "Please help me to undrstnd how u can introduce a bill tht openly ignores the inmates tht have been sitting behind bars for yrs due to racism and injustice of the federal judicial system. I believe that people lie, but numbers don't. The numbers clearly show that thousand of black men and women incarcerated in our federal prison system were sentenced under outrageous guidelines. Who are you to want to change a law because of statistics, but totally ignore the men and women doing the time who lives and families have been torn apart by the so-called justice system that make the statistical numbers. You are letting the world know that you know that the people incarcerated under the drug kingpin law of I believe 1986 is unjust, but u dnt care abt those men and women and they're families. U can only concentrate on the cases to come. Now, Now, we cant let all those people who have done the time for their crime and then some free. What would we do with all those people who we have wronged? "
• On January 22, 2010, by imnnedoflove - a man can kill his whole family and get less time and when he get out he more then likely will kill again...or a man can rape a child as young as 9mos and not do a day in jail...yes they committed a crime but not a violent one...so why take away there entire life my child father got 80yrs for riding in a car with someone that had Drugs no Drugs was found on him

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  As noted by imnnedoflove, a user on OpenCongress.org, on January 22, 2010, "a man can kill his whole family and get less time and when he get out he more then likely will kill again...or a man can rape a child as young as 9mos and not do a day in jail...yes they committed a crime but not a violent one...so why take away there entire life my child father got 80yrs for riding in a car with someone that had Drugs no Drugs was found on him"

Highly Rated Blog Articles

• S.1714: Open College Textbook Act of 2009 - U.S. ... - OpenCongress - October 10, 2011 by opencongress.org - Bills, People. S.3000 A bill to extend the ... 1 · S.1714 Open College Textbook... 1 · S.2961 Haiti Recovery Act. 1 · S.1820 Clean Cruise Ship Act... 1 · S.1789 Fair Sentencing Act o. ... Source: Open Congress : Senate ... -

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  As noted by opencongress.org on October 10, 2011, "Bills, People. S.3000 A bill to extend the ... 1 · S.1714 Open College Textbook... 1 · S.2961 Haiti Recovery Act. 1 · S.1820 Clean Cruise Ship Act... 1 · S.1789 Fair Sentencing Act o. ... Source: Open Congress : Senate ... - " (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s1714/show)
• President Obamaa » Obama signs short-term spending bill into law - December 17, 2010 by President Obamaa - President Obama Tuesday signed into law a bill S. 1789 which significantly ... Salvia Poses Little ShortTerm Health Risk ... Public Opinion Spending Priorities Tax and ... Read this Post for more info Related post ...

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  As noted by President Obamaa on December 17, 2010, "President Obama Tuesday signed into law a bill S. 1789 which significantly ... Salvia Poses Little ShortTerm Health Risk ... Public Opinion Spending Priorities Tax and ... Read this Post for more info Related post ..." (http://president-obama.narsis.in/2010/12/18/obama-signs-short-term-spending-bill-into-law/)
• christian louboutin » Christian Louboutin chairman of the Senate - December 16, 2010 by christian louboutin - “Because Congress has failed to demonstrate such a path, if S. 1789 were presented to the President, he would veto the bill.” In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday Sen. Robert Byrd, D- W.Va., took issue with Bush's veto threats and ...

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  As noted by christian louboutin on December 16, 2010, "“Because Congress has failed to demonstrate such a path, if S. 1789 were presented to the President, he would veto the bill.” In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday Sen. Robert Byrd, D- W.Va., took issue with Bush's veto threats and ..." (http://00xiangrikui.studosfera.com/christian-louboutin-chairman-of-the-senate-2/)

Highly Rated News Articles

• - August 02, 2010 by Whitehouse.gov (press release) - HR 5099, which designates a facility of the United States Postal Service as the Michael C. Rothberg Post Office; and S. 1789, the “Fair Sentencing Act of ...

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  As noted by Whitehouse.gov (press release) on August 02, 2010, " HR 5099, which designates a facility of the United States Postal Service as the Michael C. Rothberg Post Office; and S. 1789, the “Fair Sentencing Act of ... " (http://www.zimbio.com/General+Motors/articles/MU_S6PJgP15/President+Obama+Signs+Fair+Sentencing+Act)
• - August 02, 2010 by FAMM - S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, introduced by Rep. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), passed the Senate on March 17. The bill passed the House on July 27. ...

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  As noted by FAMM on August 02, 2010, " S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, introduced by Rep. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), passed the Senate on March 17. The bill passed the House on July 27. ... " (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/03/politics/main6739503.shtml)
• - August 02, 2010 by FAMM - S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, introduced by Rep. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), passed the Senate on March 17. The bill passed the House on July 27. ...

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  As noted by FAMM on August 02, 2010, " S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, introduced by Rep. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), passed the Senate on March 17. The bill passed the House on July 27. ... " (http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/congress-tackles-crack-cocaine-penalty-inequity/)