The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30 advanced legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) that would update the federal carjacking statute so that prosecutors are able to hold more offenders accountable.
“I am pleased that this important legislation is one step closer to becoming a law,” said Sen. Blackburn, who on May 1, 2025 introduced the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act, S. 1572, which now heads to the full chamber for action.
Specifically, S. 1572 would correct the current federal carjacking statute, which requires prosecutors to prove defendants had an “intent to cause death or bodily harm,” making it more difficult to bring forth federal carjacking prosecutions.
The statute also accounts for the decrease in federal carjacking prosecutions in certain parts of the country, according to a bill summary provided by the senator’s staff.
If enacted, S. 1572 would fix what Sen. Blackburn says is a drafting error by requiring prosecutors to only have to prove the knowing taking of a motor vehicle.
In cases in which death results following a carjacking, the bill would maintain the higher “intent to cause death or bodily harm” requirement, the summary says.
“We need to make it easier for federal prosecutors to combat and prevent carjackings,” Sen. Blackburn said. “My Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would make our streets safer for Tennesseans and all Americans by fixing a broken statute that has hindered federal prosecutors from holding carjacking offenders accountable.”
Since its introduction, the measure has gained 15 cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and has been endorsed by several groups, such as the National District Attorneys Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and the Fraternal Order of Police, among others.