Bill > HR59

This bill, known as the Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025, establishes a standard approach for determining the mental state (or "mens rea") required for criminal offenses when the original law does not explicitly specify a mental state. The bill defines key terms like "knowingly" and "willfully" and creates a default legal standard that requires the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant acted with the specific mental state mentioned in the law for each element of the offense. If no mental state is specified for an element, the government must prove the defendant acted "knowingly" for that element. The bill applies to criminal offenses punishable by at least $2,500 in fines or imprisonment, with exceptions for certain military and specifically incorporated offenses. It includes provisions to prevent retroactive application that would unfairly punish past conduct or eliminate existing legal defenses, and it ensures that future laws cannot easily override these new mental state requirements without explicitly referencing this act. The legislation aims to provide greater clarity and consistency in how criminal intent is interpreted across different criminal statutes.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/59/all-info