Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill cuts mandatory minimum prison sentences for federal drug crimes. Offenses that currently carry a 10-year minimum would drop to 5 years, and 5-year minimums would drop to 2 years. Prior-offense enhancements are also reduced.
• The bill creates a new legal category called a "courier" — someone whose only role was transporting or storing drugs or money. Couriers get lower mandatory minimums than higher-level traffickers, even for import/export offenses.
• People already in prison for these drug offenses can ask a judge to reduce their sentence under the new, lower minimums. Judges would weigh public safety and the person's history before deciding.
• The Sentencing Commission must update its guidelines within 120 days to match the new law, and must consider reducing racial disparities in federal sentencing as part of the process.
• The Attorney General must report on cost savings from shorter sentences and how that money will be used for law enforcement, crime prevention, and reducing recidivism.
• Every federal agency must catalog all criminal offenses it enforces — including penalties, prosecution history, and mental-state requirements — and publish a free, public index online within two years.