Kustoff introduces legislation to strengthen enforcement of carjacking
WASHINGTON – On November 19th, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN), Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL), and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation updates federal statute to give prosecutors the tools they need to charge criminal carjackers and get them off our streets.
“Current federal statute makes carjacking cases difficult to prosecute,” said Congressman Kustoff. “The bill changes that by requiring prosecutors to prove that a person knowingly took a motor vehicle by force, violence, or intimidation. This change closes a loophole that has allowed violent offenders to avoid being charged and held accountable.”
“Carjackings have increased across the country, particularly in our Nation’s capital, and families are paying the price for Washington’s failure to address this growing problem,” said Congressman Moore.“Federal prosecutors shouldn’t have to read minds to put dangerous criminals behind bars. I thank Rep. Kustoff and Rep. Cuellar for partnering with me to restore common sense to the law by removing a decades-old drafting error that has handcuffed law enforcement and emboldened offenders. Every American deserves to know they can drive to work, church, or school safely, and this bipartisan legislation brings us one step closer to restoring law and order.”
“Our bipartisan bill fixes a longstanding error in federal law that’s made it harder to go after dangerous carjackers, and I want to thank my friend and colleague from Alabama, Rep. Barry Moore, for working with me on this effort,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28).“I’m focused on the rise in violent crime that families are seeing across the country. I want to make sure law enforcement has the resources they need to respond to these trends and keep our communities safe. I’ll keep fighting for stronger public safety laws that support our communities.”
The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act is co-sponsored by Representatives Nehls (R-TX), Guest (R-MS), Luna (R-FL), Palmer (R-AL), Gill (R-TX), Harris (R-NC), Rutherford (R-FL), Williams (R-TX), Hunt (R-TX), McGuire (R-VA), Harrigan (R-NC), Mace (R-SC), Ogles (R-TN), Miller (R-OH), Carter (R-GA), Kim (R-CA) Huizenga (R-MI), Sessions (R-TX), and Babin (R-TX). Senator Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate in May of 2025.
This bill is endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.
Background:
This bill strengthens the federal carjacking statute by updating the elements prosecutors must prove in order to bring a charge. Under current law, prosecutors must prove that the offender intended to cause harm at the exact moment they took the vehicle, which has created a loophole that allows offenders to evade federal prosecution. The bill replaces that requirement with a standard that the person knowingly took the vehicle. This change restores Congress’s original intent from the 1994 Crime Bill and closes a longstanding gap that has shielded violent offenders from accountability.
Read the bill text HERE.
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