March 18, 2026
Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To include a Federal defender as a nonvoting member of the United States Sentencing Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Sentencing Commission Improvements Act
.
Sec. 2. Federal defender as a nonvoting member of the United States Sentencing Commission
(a) In general
Section 991(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in the first sentence, by striking one nonvoting member
and inserting 2 nonvoting members
; and
(2)
in the fifth sentence, by striking shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member
and inserting and a Federal public defender, or a community defender, designated by the Defender Services Office of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, shall be ex officio, nonvoting members
.
(b) Conforming amendment
Section 235(b)(5) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (18 U.S.C. 3551 note) is amended, in the third sentence, by striking nine members, including two
and inserting 10 members, including 3
.