{"id":"15c853a7-5414-433d-8218-f1199fb1ca9c","feedVisibility":"normal","congress":119,"billType":"s","billNumber":4136,"title":"Sentencing Commission Improvements Act","displayTitle":"Sentencing Commission Improvements Act","abstract":"Sentencing Commission Improvements Act This bill adds one nonvoting member to the U.S. Sentencing Commission and requires the new member to be a public defender.","displaySummary":"<p><strong>YVN Summary</strong></p>\n\n<p>The U.S. Sentencing Commission sets the guidelines that federal judges use when deciding prison sentences. Currently, it has one nonvoting ex officio member — the Attorney General's designee. This bill would add a second nonvoting member: a federal public defender or community defender, chosen by the Defender Services Office. The idea is to make sure the perspective of defense attorneys — who represent the people most directly affected by sentencing guidelines — has a seat at the table when those guidelines are written.</p>","status":"COMMITTEE_CONSIDERATION","topics":["CRIME"],"introducedAt":"2026-03-18T00:00:00+00:00","latestActionAt":"2026-03-18T00:00:00+00:00","congressGovUrl":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4136","accountabilityFlags":{},"tldr":"Adds a federal public defender as a second nonvoting member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, giving defense attorneys a voice on sentencing rules.","summaryStandard":null,"flagExplainers":{},"flagValence":{},"needsResummary":false,"displaySummaryHtml":null,"rawStatusText":"Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.","chamber":"SENATE","policyArea":"Crime and Law Enforcement","legislativeSubjects":[],"lawStatus":null,"lawNumber":null,"latestActionText":"Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.","latestTextVersion":"Introduced in Senate","textVersionUsed":"Introduced in Senate","dateAdded":"2026-04-06T00:00:00+00:00","summarizedAt":"2026-04-06T00:00:00+00:00","recordId":"15c853a7-5414-433d-8218-f1199fb1ca9c","feedIdentityKey":"119/s/4136","websiteBillId":"S-4136","yourvoiceSummary":"The U.S. Sentencing Commission sets the guidelines that federal judges use when deciding prison sentences. Currently, it has one nonvoting ex officio member — the Attorney General's designee. This bill would add a second nonvoting member: a federal public defender or community defender, chosen by the Defender Services Office. The idea is to make sure the perspective of defense attorneys — who represent the people most directly affected by sentencing guidelines — has a seat at the table when those guidelines are written.","updatedAt":"2026-10-24T10:56:55.978083+00:00"}