House Republican Elise Stefanik and Senator Marsha Blackburn have introduced a pair of bills aimed at eliminating cashless bail policies—starting in Washington, D.C., and expanding across the country.
The legislation, unveiled Monday, would ban cashless bail in the nation’s capital and cut off federal funding for local governments that support similar policies elsewhere.
Supporters say the move is a direct response to what they call rising crime linked to bail reform laws. Stefanik pointed to recent cases in New York and D.C., including a Guatemalan national in New York who was released without bail despite facing multiple felony charges. That individual, authorities said, later sold drug-laced gummies to students, sending a dozen to the hospital.
“Under Kathy Hochul’s failed leadership, cashless bail policies in New York pose a clear and present danger to the nation,” Stefanik said. “We can’t allow arrested individuals who are awaiting trial to be released back onto the streets to commit more crimes.”
Senator Blackburn echoed the message, calling the bills part of a broader push to support former President Donald Trump’s executive actions from August.
“Cashless bail and other soft-on-crime policies have empowered violent criminals across our country,” she said. “Congresswoman Stefanik and I are backing Trump’s efforts to end these failed policies and keep violent offenders behind bars.”
Legislation draws support from bail industry groups
The bills—titled the Ending Cashless Bail in Our Nation’s Capital Act and the Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act—are backed by the National Association of Bail Agents and the New York State Bail Association.
“We applaud Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s bold initiatives and leadership,” said Michelle Esquenazi, the group’s president. “This legislation will serve to protect the public safety of law-abiding citizens everywhere.”
Cashless bail reform has been a political flashpoint in New York since 2020, when the state ended cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. Critics argue the changes allow repeat or dangerous offenders to re-enter communities too easily. Supporters say the system unfairly punishes low-income defendants.
Stefanik’s office cited a 2023 study out of Yolo County, California, that found a 200% increase in violent crime among those released under zero-bail rules compared to those who posted bail.
The two new bills aim to make Trump’s recent executive orders permanent by enshrining the changes into law.
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