Bill > HR10250

This bill, the Mens Rea Reform Act of 2024, aims to specify the state of mind (or mental culpability) required for conviction of federal criminal offenses that do not expressly identify the state of mind element. It establishes a default requirement that the government must prove the defendant acted "knowingly" or "willfully" with respect to each element of the offense, unless the text of the law specifies a different state of mind. The bill provides definitions for key terms like "knowingly" and "willfully" and outlines exceptions where this default rule would not apply, such as for jurisdictional or venue elements. The bill would apply to covered offenses committed on or after the date of enactment, with some limitations to avoid punishing past conduct or increasing punishment retroactively.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/10250/all-info