A coalition of 180 organizations and concerned individuals is urging Congress to reject H.R. 5214, the “District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025,” warning it would reverse decades of progress, make DC less safe, and harm DC’s home rule.
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the measure on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
The bill, voted out of the House Oversight Committee on September 10, 2025, would reimpose a cash bail system in the District for the first time in more than 30 years. It would force the District to abandon its risk-based pre-trial system and instead require people accused of crimes to pay money or post property to secure release before trial. Under the proposed system, wealthier defendants could buy their freedom while those who cannot afford bail would remain jailed, even if they pose no danger to the community.
In a joint letter sent to congressional leaders—led and organized by Tzedek DC, Council for Court Excellence, and DC Justice Lab—the coalition details how cash bail systems have failed elsewhere. 180 nonprofit organizations and individual advocates signed on to voice their opposition to H.R. 5214. The letter noted that jurisdictions with cash bail have seen worse safety outcomes, higher recidivism rates, and long-term harm to families. The letter emphasizes that:
“This approach [to reimpose cash bail] would displace and worsen DC’s current system, which ...has been effective and focused on public safety. Congress should, on a bipartisan basis, soundly reject the approach of this bill. All of us who have signed this letter care deeply about the safety of our neighborhoods and the well-being of the District of Columbia. We grieve when there is a crime that harms a member of our community or someone visiting our Nation’s Capital. It is because of that care and commitment that we all come together to reject the proposed legislation, as those changes to DC’s local courts’ risk-based assessments will ultimately make our Nation’s Capital less safe.”
DC’s current system was adopted by the DC Council in 1992 under DC’s Home Rule authority and mirrors federal bail law, focusing on whether an individual poses a danger to the community or a flight risk. This approach has kept court appearance rates high and new offenses low, with data showing 98.8% of defendants are not rearrested for violent crimes while awaiting trial.
The coalition’s call aligns with strong opposition to Congressional changes to DC’s pretrial system from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, and the full DC Council, who have stressed that H.R. 5214 would erode the District’s self-governance and dismantle DC’s current risk-based system that has worked effectively for decades. The coalition urges the full Congress on a bipartisan basis to reject H.R. 5214 and keep safety, not wealth, the basis of pre-trial decisions in the Nation's Capital.
Click here to read the full coalition letter.
Click here to read Tzedek DC’s recent report on why imposing cash bail would fail the people of DC.
For media inquiries, please contact media@tzedekdc.org or Vasuki Wilson at vasuki@risepublic.com or (202) 294-2342.
About Tzedek DC
Drawing from the Jewish teachings of “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” or “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” Tzedek DC’s mission is to safeguard the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with low incomes dealing with the often devastating consequences of abusive debt collection practices and other consumer related issues. www.tzedekdc.org
About Council for Court Excellence
Council for Court Excellence's (CCE's) mission is to bring people together to conduct research, educate, and advocate to make DC’s unique legal system more just, equitable, and accountable to the community. CCE envisions a DC where individuals, organizations, and government work together to build safe and thriving communities with a trusted legal system that meets the needs of its people, protects their rights, and promotes dignity and justice for all. www.courtexcellence.org
About DC Justice Lab
DC Justice Lab is a team of law and policy experts researching, organizing, and advocating for large-scale changes to the District of Columbia’s criminal legal system. They develop smarter safety solutions that are evidence-driven, community-rooted, and racially just. They aim to fully transform the District’s approach to public safety and make it a national leader in justice reform. www.dcjusticelab.org