To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.

H.R. 5140 · 119th Congress (2025-2026)

100%

7 members · Left 0 · Center 0 · Right 7 (Bill Ranking)

Sponsor	Rep. Gill, Brandon (R-TX) (Introduced 09/04/2025)
Sponsor Voting Record	Right · DW-NOMINATE +0.78 · measured from every roll-call vote this member has cast (voteview.com) (Sponsor Ranking)
Support	LLLCLRR support across the spectrum: 7 members signed on (Bill Ranking) this bill: sponsor + current cosponsors, each once
Committees	House - Oversight and Government Reform Committee; House - Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Latest Action	09/17/2025 Received in the Senate.
Roll Call Votes	1
Source	view on congress.gov →

IntroducedPassed HousePassed SenateResolving DifferencesTo PresidentBecame Law

Summary (1)

Introduced in House (09/04/2025)

This bill lowers the age at which an individual may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia (DC) to 14 years of age.

Under current DC law, an individual who is under 18 years of age is tried as a juvenile in family court. However, an individual who is 16 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is charged with murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense. Additionally, an individual who is 15 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is alleged to have committed a felony and it is determined that (1) it is in the interest of the public welfare to try the individual as an adult, and (2) there are no reasonable prospects for the individual's rehabilitation.

The bill lowers the minimum age to be tried as an adult in these cases to 14 years of age.

Text (2)

Engrossed in House (EH)

119 HR 5140 EH: To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age. U.S. House of Representatives text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5140

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.

1.Lowering age at which a minor may be tried as adult for certain criminal offenses in District of Columbia (a)Lowering age at which minor may be excluded from jurisdiction of Family CourtSection 16–2301, District of Columbia Official Code, is amended— (1)in paragraph (3), by striking sixteen years of age and inserting fourteen years of age; and (2)in paragraph (3) in the matter following subparagraph (C), by striking the age of sixteen and inserting the age of fourteen. (b)Lowering age at which minor may be transferred to criminal proceedingSection 16–2307(a), District of Columbia Official Code, is amended— (1)in paragraph (1), by striking fifteen and inserting fourteen; and (2)in paragraph (2), by striking sixteen and inserting fourteen. (c)ApplicabilityThis Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall apply with respect to criminal offenses committed on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. Passed the House of Representatives September 16, 2025.Kevin F. McCumber,Clerk.

Introduced in House (IH)

119 HR 5140 IH: To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age. U.S. House of Representatives 2025-09-04 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I119th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 5140IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSeptember 4, 2025Mr. Gill of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government ReformA BILLTo lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.

1.Lowering age at which a minor may be tried as adult for certain criminal offenses in District of Columbia (a)Lowering age at which minor may be excluded from jurisdiction of Family CourtSection 16–2301, District of Columbia Official Code, is amended— (1)in paragraph (3), by striking sixteen years of age and inserting fourteen years of age; and (2)in paragraph (3) in the matter following subparagraph (C), by striking the age of sixteen and inserting the age of fourteen. (b)Lowering age at which minor may be transferred to criminal proceedingSection 16–2307(a), District of Columbia Official Code, is amended— (1)in paragraph (1), by striking fifteen and inserting fourteen; (2)in paragraph (2), by striking sixteen and inserting fourteen; and (3)in paragraph (3), by striking eighteen and inserting fourteen. (c)ApplicabilityThis Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall apply with respect to criminal offenses committed on and after the date of the enactment of this Act.

The bill's own words, from our database (synced from the GPO BILLS XML); paragraph breaks added at the bill's section boundaries, nothing else changed.

All Actions (16)

Date	Chamber	All Actions
09/04/2025	Library of Congress	Introduced in House
09/04/2025	Library of Congress	Introduced in House
09/04/2025	House floor actions	Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
09/10/2025	House committee actions	Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
09/10/2025	House committee actions	Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 19.
09/15/2025	House floor actions	Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 707 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015 and H.R. 3062. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 3062 under a closed rule, and provides for a motion to recommit on each measure.
09/16/2025	House floor actions	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 707. (consideration: CR H4339)
09/16/2025	House floor actions	Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015 and H.R. 3062. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 3062 under a closed rule, and provides for a motion to recommit on each measure.
09/16/2025	House floor actions	DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 5140.
09/16/2025	House floor actions	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
09/16/2025	House floor actions	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 5140, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill, and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Garcia (CA) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
09/16/2025	House floor actions	Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4346)
09/16/2025	Library of Congress	Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 271). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4339)
09/16/2025	House floor actions	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 271). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4339)
09/16/2025	House floor actions	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
09/17/2025	Senate	Received in the Senate.

Titles (3)

Title Type	Title
Display Title	To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text	To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
Official Title as Introduced	To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.

Amendments (1)

Amendment	Sponsor	Purpose	Latest Action
HAMDT 104			09/16/2025 On agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

Cosponsors (6)

Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2] — 09/08/2025 — Right (Sponsor Ranking)
Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] — 09/09/2025 — Right (Sponsor Ranking)
Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2] — 09/11/2025 — Right (Sponsor Ranking)
Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13] — 09/15/2025 — Right (Sponsor Ranking)
Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] — 09/16/2025 — Right (Sponsor Ranking)
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] — 09/17/2025 — Lean right (Sponsor Ranking)

* = Original cosponsor

Committees (2)

Committee	Activity
House - Oversight and Government Reform Committee	09/10/2025 Markup By
House - Oversight and Government Reform Committee	09/04/2025 Referred To

Related Bills (1)

H.Res. 707 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4922) to limit youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5143) to establish standards for law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia to engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5140) to lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5125) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1047) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain projects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3015) to reestablish the National Coal Council in the Department of Energy to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal and the coal industry, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3062) to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity; and for other purposes. (Related bill; Procedurally related)

Subjects (4)

Policy Area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
District of Columbia
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Violent crime

All data on this page comes from our own database (legislation.congress_* tables), synced daily from the GPO govinfo BILLSTATUS and BILLS collections. Formatted after congress.gov; nothing is generated. Member placement is their DW-NOMINATE score (voteview.com, Lewis et al.) - a measurement of roll-call voting behavior, not our judgement. Buckets: Left below −0.50 · Lean Left to −0.25 · Center to +0.25 · Lean Right to +0.50 · Right above +0.50. The bill's Support meter aggregates the people who signed the bill - sponsor and current cosponsors, each counted once - nothing else.