To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
Key claim: This bill lowers the minimum age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain serious criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
Abstract
(HR5140 · 119th Congress) This bill lowers the age at which an individual may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia (DC) to 14 years of age. Under current DC law, an individual who is under 18 years of age is tried as a juvenile in family court. However, an individual who is 16 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is charged with murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense. Additionally, an individual who is 15 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is alleged to have committed a felony and it is determined that (1) it is in the interest of the public welfare to try the individual as an adult, and (2) there are no reasonable prospects for the individual’s rehabilitation. The bill lowers the minimum age to be tried as an adult in these cases to 14 years of age. Latest action (2025-09-17): Received in the Senate.
Why this matters
Lowering the age at which minors can be tried as adults expands the reach of the adult criminal system to younger children, with significant due-process and civil-rights implications including harsher sentencing exposure, adult detention conditions, and lasting criminal records. The proposal cuts against a broader ‘raise the age’ policy trend and reopens contested questions about juvenile culpability, rehabilitation, and racial disparities in transfer decisions. Because Congress exercises direct legislative authority over DC, the bill also implicates local self-governance concerns.