(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Right On Crime, a national criminal justice organization, applauds the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for passing three essential bills out of committee that represent significant progress in addressing the federal overcriminalization crisis: the Count the Crimes to Cut Act of 2025, the Mens Rea Reform Act, and the End Endless Criminal Statutes Act.

“Overcriminalization is a real and growing threat to our justice system, to the rule of law, and to individual freedom in this country,” said ROC Executive Director and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman. “Unelected bureaucrats are creating tens of thousands of new rules and regulatory crimes every year—75 to 1 compared to Congress. These bills are essential to protect everyday Americans who make mistakes – not criminals, not violent offenders, just people who happened to run afoul of an ever-expanding federal code.”  

“This is a major step toward reining in the vast, unmanageable web of federal criminal statutes,” said Right On Crime National Policy Director Rachel Wright. “We applaud Chairman Jordan and Rep. Biggs, Ranking Member Raskin, for their leadership on these bills and appreciate the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who engaged in serious, thoughtful debate to push these bills out of committee and to the House floor.”

Co-sponsored by Reps. Chip Roy and Lucy McBath, this bill would commission a full accounting of all federal crimes on the books— a crucial step toward transparency and legislative clarity in the face of a sprawling federal criminal code. The Department of Justice and federal agency heads would be required to compile a comprehensive report detailing all federal criminal statutes and regulations entailing criminal penalties, mens rea and use.

Led by Rep. Andy Biggs, this bill establishes a default mens rea—or criminal intent—requirement for federal crimes, ensuring that individuals are not criminally punished without proof of a culpable mental state. The bill earned both praise and constructive critique across the aisle, with Rep. Chip Roy entering Right On Crime’s own Mens Rea research into the record: Congress Needs to Make Up Its Mind: Mens Rea Reform and Why it Matters.

Also sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs, this commonsense legislation eliminates outdated or duplicative federal crimes, some of which are rarely enforced or widely unknown. Rep. Biggs’ proposal drew support for its pragmatic approach—tackling low-hanging fruit in the criminal code—while also initiating an overdue conversation about pruning statutes that no longer serve the public interest.   Right On Crime urges continued bipartisan cooperation and looks forward to working with lawmakers, advocates, and communities to eventually bring these bills into law. These bills also compliment “Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulation,” an Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump in 2025.

Right On Crime is a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation supporting conservative solutions for fewer victims, less crime, and safer communities. The movement was born in Texas in 2007, established as a national campaign in 2010, and leads the way in implementing conservative criminal justice initiatives across the nation that are just, effective, and fiscally responsible. For more information, visit our website at www.RightOnCrime.com. 

For more information or to request an interview, contact Tonya Kerr ([email protected]).