Congressional Testimony, Reports, and Submissions
Congressional Testimony
- Prepared Statement of Patti B. Saris, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission, Before the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security - October 12, 2011 (.PDF)
- Prepared Statement of Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Acting Chair, United States Sentencing Commission Before the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security - May 21, 2009 (.PDF)
- Prepared Statement of Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Acting Chair, United States Sentencing Commission before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Crime and Drugs Subcommittee - April 29, 2009 (.PDF)
- Prepared Statement of Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Crime and Drugs Subcommittee - February 26, 2008 (.PDF)
- Prepared Statement of Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Crime and Drugs Subcommittee - February 12, 2008 (.PDF)
- Prepared Statement of Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security - June 26, 2007 (.PDF)
- Prepared Testimony of Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives - March 16, 2006 (.PDF)
- Testimony of Commissioner John R. Steer and Judge William K. Sessions, III, before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Blakely v. Washington and the Future of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (July 13, 2004) (.PDF)
- Statement of Diana E. Murphy, Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission, Before the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs (May 22, 2002) (.PDF) View Charts and Figures. (.PDF)
- Statement of Charles Tetzlaff, General Counsel of the United States Sentencing Commission, Before the House Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee regarding pending legislation to disapprove the Commission's guideline amendment regarding a "mitigating role cap" for drug trafficking offenses. (May 14, 2002) (.PDF)
- Statement of Diana E. Murphy, Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission, Before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (March 21, 2001) and Related Figures (.PDF)
- Sentencing Commission Hearing Statements and Departures Exhibit, Criminal Justice Oversight Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (October 13, 2000)
- Statement of John R. Steer, Member and Vice Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission Before the House Governmental Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources (May 11, 2000) Figures (.PDF)
- Testimony of the United States Sentencing Commission before the House Crime Subcommittee (December 19, 1995) (.PDF)
Congressional Reports
Campaign Finance
- Report to Congress: Increased Penalties for Campaign Finance Offenses and Legislative Recommendations (May 2003).This report is submitted pursuant to section 314 of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-155 (the "Act"). Section 314 required the United States Sentencing Commission (the "Commission") to promulgate a guideline "for penalties for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971." The Commission, acting under emergency authority conferred by the Act, promulgated an amendment, effective January 25, 2003, which created an temporary guideline for campaign finance offenses. That guideline was repromulgated without change as a permanent amendment in March 2003 and, subject to congressional review, will become effective on November 1, 2003. (.PDF)
Computer Crime
- Report to Congress: Increased Penalties for Cyber Security Offenses This report is submitted pursuant to section 225(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296. (May 2003) (.PDF)
- Report to Congress - Adequacy of Federal Sentencing Guideline Penalties for Computer Fraud & Vandalism Offenses (.PDF) This report responds to the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996’s directive to review the deterrent effect of existing guidelines as they apply to various computer crimes. The Commission reviewed its data of guideline convictions under the pertinent statute, conducted a search to determine whether any recidivism had occurred, developed a profile of a “typical offender,” and conducted a literature review of deterrence studies of “white collar” crime.
Corporate Crime and Fraud Topics
- Report to Congress: Increased Penalties Under the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. (January 2003) This report was submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1104(a)(3) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Public Law 107-204 (.PDF).
- Report to Congress: Telemarketing Fraud Offenses - Explanation of Recent Guideline Amendments (October 1998). As directed in section 6(b) of the Telemarketing Fraud Prevention Act of 1998, Public Law 105-184) the Sentencing Commission submitted to Congress an explanation of guideline amendments promulgated for telemarketing fraud offenses, as well as additional policy recommendations for combatting these offenses. (.PDF)
- Report to Congress: Adequacy of Penalties for Fraud Offenses Involving Elderly Victims (March 1995) (.PDF) This report responds to a congressional directive to review the adequacy of victim-related guideline adjustments for fraud offenses against elderly victims. The report includes: (1) an overview of the legislative history leading to the statutory directive; (2) a discussion of the operation of the relevant sentencing guidelines and policy statements; (3) an examination of case law; (4) an empirical analysis of relevant sentencing data.
Departures
- Report to Congress: Downward Departures from the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (October 2003). This report was submitted in response to section 401(m) of the the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-21.
Disaster Fraud
- Report to Congress: Amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines in Response to the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007. This report responds to the directive in section 5(a) of the Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007 (the "Disaster Fraud Act"), Pub. L. No. 110-179, 2008. The report discusses the Disaster Fraud Act, its legislative history and explains the actions taken by the Commission pursuant to the congressional directive.
Drug Topics
- Report to Congress - Federal Cocaine Sentencing Policy. This is the Commission's fourth report to Congress on the subject of federal cocaine sentencing policy. The report updates much of the data and information contained in previous Commission reports and provides recommendations to Congress for modifications to the statutory penalty structure for federal cocaine offenses. (May 2007)
- Report to Congress - Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy (May 2002)
- Report to Congress: MDMA Drug Offenses, Explanation of Recent Guideline Amendments - May 2001. (.PDF) This report was submitted to Congress pursuant to section 3663(e) of the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-310.
- Special Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy (February 1995). This report responds to a congressional directive that the Commission examine federal sentencing policy as it relates to powder and crack cocaine. The report examines pharmacology, methods of use, societal impacts, cocaine distribution and marketing, cocaine’s relationship to violent crime, the legislative history of cocaine penalties, and constitutional challenges; and data related to federal drug offenses.
- Special Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy- April 29, 1997. This report contains the Commission's recommendations on federal sentencing policy for cocaine offenses. Appended to this report is Vice Chairman Michael Gelacak's Concurring Opinion. (.PDF)
Mandatory Minimum Penalties
- Special Report to Congress: Mandatory Minimum Penalties in the Federal Criminal Justice System (August 1991) This report responds to a statutory directive that the Commission examine the compatibility of the sentencing guidelines and mandatory minimum penalties, the effect of mandatory minimums on the federal system, and congressional alternatives to mandatory minimums for directing sentencing policy.
Money Laundering Topics
- Sentencing Policy for Money Laundering Offenses, including Comments on Department of Justice Report. - September 18, 1997(.PDF) This report responds to a congressional directive to comment on the Department of Justice's report on federal prosecutorial charging and plea practices affecting money laundering offenses. ( More Money Laundering publications.)
Sex Offense Topics
- Report to Congress: Adequacy of Penalties for the Intentional Exposure of Others, through Sexual Activity, to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (March 1995) (.PDF) In this report, the Commission considers whether revisions to the sentencing guidelines were needed to accommodate offenses involving willful exposure to HIV. The report examines (1) the operation of the guidelines given the absence of a specific federal statute punishing the intentional transmission of HIV; (2) cases sentenced in fiscal year 1993 to determine the frequency with which HIV exposure was an issue at sentencing; and (3) pertinent case law.
- Report to Congress: Analysis of Penalties for Federal Rape Cases (March 1995) (.PDF) This report discusses the operation of the sentencing guidelines with regard to federal rape cases, compares federal and state penalties for sexual assault, analyzes Sentencing Commission sexual abuse data, and analyzes public comment and expert opinion on pertinent issues.
- Report to Congress: Sex Crimes Against Children (June 1996) This report analyzes all 1994 and 1995 cases involving sexual abuse, child pornography, or the promotion of illegal sexual contact. The report responds to a congressional directive in the Sex Crimes Against Children Prevention Act of 1995. Pertinent statutory provisions are analyzed and recommendations are presented.
Congressional Submissions
- Sentencing Commission Letter for the Record Regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee's Hearing, "Rising Prison Costs: Restricting Budgets and Crime Prevention Options" On August 7, 2012, the Sentencing Commission submitted a letter for inclusion in the record of the August 1, 2012, Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing, "Rising Prison Costs: Restricting Budgets and Prevention Options."
- United States Sentencing Commission Report to Congress Regarding Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Penalties On July 10, 2009, the Sentencing Commission submitted a report on federal mandatory minimum sentencing penalties to the House Judiciary Committee for inclusion in the record of the July 14, 2009, Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee Hearing entitled "Mandatory Minimums and Unintended Consequences."
- Report on the Impact of United States v. Booker on Federal Sentencing (March 2006) This report assesses the impact of United States v. Booker on federal sentencing. Explanation of revisions to version released March 13, 2006.
- Sentencing Commission Letter to Congress Regarding H.R. 1528 On April 19, 2005, the Sentencing Commission submitted a letter to the House Judiciary Committee regarding H.R. 1528, the "Defending America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005".
- Sentencing Commission Letter to Congress Regarding Penalties for Cultural Heritage Resource Crimes On April 3, 2002, the Sentencing Commission submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary regarding Penalties for Cultural Heritage Resource Crimes.