The U.S. House passed a bill on Thursday requiring an annual report on state and local governments that allow cashless bail for dangerous criminals, in a small step towards combatting soft-on-crime policies.
The House voted 308-116 to pass the “Cashless Bail Reporting Act,” with Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) supporting the bill while Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) voted against it.
The bill, proposed by Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.), drew support from 96 Democrats and all but two Republicans: Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa).
The simple piece of legislation requires the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish annual reports on all the states and municipalities allowing cashless bail for criminals who pose a threat to public safety.
Cashless bail allows criminals to be released prior to their trial without having to pay anything to bail officers prior to their release.
Under the bill, criminal offenses that pose a threat to public safety include violent and sexual crimes and crimes such as looting or vandalism that “promote public disorder”.
The bill comes in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s executive order “Taking Steps to End Cashless Bail to Protect Americans.”
That order, signed in August 2025, required the Attorney General to submit a report on the jurisdictions that have substantially eliminated cash bail and to suspend federal funding for those jurisdictions where appropriate.
