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Congress·In Committee·S. 3959

Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026

Sen. Durbin and Sen. Lee Push Bipartisan Bill to Cut Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

Criminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

The bill specifically creates a "courier" category with lower sentences for people whose only role was moving drugs or money. Many drug couriers caught at the border or in import/export operations are non-citizens. By reducing mandatory minimums for these lower-level participants, the bill could mean significantly shorter prison terms for undocumented individuals convicted of courier-level drug offenses.

The term `courier' means a defendant whose role in the offense was limited to transporting or storing drugs or money.
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ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions
Mar 2, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 2, 2026

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Mar 2, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S733-734)

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Smarter Sentencing Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 3959
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S733-734)

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(10)
D: 6R: 2I: 2

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.