S-1136 — DETERRENCE Act

YourVoice.Now Summary

Criminal Justice & Due Process

When a foreign government is behind a kidnapping or stalking, judges could add up to 10 years.

Criminal Justice & Due Process

Sentences for crimes foreign governments order — up to 10 more years

It covers kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, and attacks on federal officials or their families. Judges could add the years, but would not have to. The person must have known a foreign government was behind the crime.

Sentences for stalking ordered by a foreign government — up to 30 months

Stalking someone in the United States for a foreign government would carry up to 30 extra months, even when no one is hurt. If the victim is under 18, badly hurt, or killed, judges could add 5 to 10 years instead.

More about this bill

Most people would see no change in daily life. The change matters if a foreign government tries to hurt, threaten, or stalk someone in the United States. Judges could add up to 10 years to the prison sentence in those cases. The extra time would cover kidnapping, murder-for-hire, and stalking. It would also cover attacks on federal officials, their families, and the President. Judges would not have to add the time. The person must also have known a foreign government was behind the crime. The Senate passed the bill on June 10, 2025, so it is not law yet.

Congressional Summary

Deterring External Threats and Ensuring Robust Responses to Egregious and Nefarious Criminal Endeavors Act or the DETERRENCE ActThis bill establishes sentencing enhancements for various federal criminal offenses if the offenses are directed by or coordinated with a foreign government.

Legislative Subjects

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationCriminal procedure and sentencingHuman traffickingLaw enforcement officersPresidential administrationsSubversive activitiesTerrorismViolent crime

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: Senate
Status: summarized
Action: Passed Senate
Action Date: 2025-06-10
Date Added: 2026-04-10
Source: Congress.gov →

Like reading a bill in plain English?

We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.