The United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2013 () is a federal law that extended the existence of the

United States Parole Commission The United States Parole Commission is the parole board responsible for granting or denying parole to, and supervising the parole releases of, incarcerated individuals who fall under its jurisdiction. It is part of the United States Department of Ju ...

an additional five years until November 2018. The law also requires the Commission to file a report with Congress on their activities. The United States Parole Commission is the

parole board A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdiction ...

responsible to grant or deny

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

and to supervise those released on parole to incarcerated individuals who come under its jurisdiction. It is part of the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

Provisions of the bill

The United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2013 extends the existence of the United States Parole Commission for another 5 years. It does this by amending the

Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 The Sentencing Reform Act, part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, was a U.S. federal statute intended to increase consistency in United States federal sentencing. It established the United States Sentencing Commission. It also abol ...

( note; Public law 98-473). The law requires the Parole Commission to write a report for the

United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

and the

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...

about the parole commission and its activities. Seventeen different items are required in this report, including information about the number of record reviews done, the number of offenders the commission has jurisdiction over, the number of hearings held, and their expenditures.

Procedural history

The United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2013 was introduced into the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

on September 26, 2013 by Rep. Steve Chabot (R, OH-1). It was referred to the

and the

United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security is a subcommittee within the House Judiciary Committee. Jurisdiction Members, 117th Congress Historical membership rosters 115th Congress 116th Congress See also * United States ...

. On October 14, 2013, the House voted to pass the bill by

unanimous consent In parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house (or leave of the senate), is a situation in which no member present objects to a prop ...

. The

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

voted on October 30, 2013 to pass the bill by unanimous consent, and the bill was signed into law by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

on October 31, 2013, extending the life of the U.S. Parole Commission until November 2018.

Debate and discussion

Senator

Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...

argued in favor of the bill for reasons of public safety. According to Leahy, "the consequences of failing to reauthorize the Commission would be dire," because without the Commission to provide parole hearings, 3,500 inmates would be released.

Notes/References

External links

Library of Congress - Thomas H.R. 3190beta.congress.gov H.R. 3190GovTrack.us H.R. 3190OpenCongress.org H.R. 3190U.S. Dept of Justice FY2013 Performance Budget for the U.S. Parole Commission
{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2013 (H.R. 3190 113th Congress) Acts of the 113th United States Congress Parole