PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] · R–SC
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: May 2, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-11 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Safe Shelters Act of 2025 would restrict access to government-run disaster shelters for people covered by its sex-offender registration definition. They could enter shelters not designated for them only to seek information about designated shelters, and would have to identify their registration status immediately. The Federal Emergency Management Agency could designate separate shelters for their use. Knowing violations could bring fines, up to five years in prison, or both.
This Act may be cited as the Safe Shelters Act of 2025.
Except for the purpose of seeking information on designated shelters, a covered sex offender may not enter or use the services of an undesignated shelter.
A covered sex offender who enters an undesignated shelter shall, immediately upon entering such shelter, notify any individual operating such shelter that such offender is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry.
Whoever, in or affecting interstate commerce, being a covered sex offender, knowingly fails to comply with paragraph (1) or (2) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may, as necessary, designate a Federal building or Federal prison from the lists created pursuant to paragraph (2) as a designated shelter
The term emergency shelter means a shelter run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or a State or local government in response to a disaster described in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
The proposal would cover sex offenders required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry under the cited federal registration law. It adopts existing federal definitions of sex offender and the registry rather than reproducing them.
The term covered sex offender means a sex offender who is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry under section 113 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20913).
The term National Sex Offender Registry means the national database established under section 119 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20921).
The term sex offender has the meaning given such term in section 111 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20911).
The shelter rules would apply to disaster shelters run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or state or local governments. A designated shelter would be reserved for covered sex offenders only; other emergency shelters within this definition would be undesignated shelters.
The term emergency shelter means a shelter run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or a State or local government in response to a disaster described in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
The term designated shelter means an emergency shelter that is designated for use under this section by covered sex offenders only.
The term undesignated shelter means an emergency shelter other than a designated shelter.
A covered person could enter or use an undesignated shelter only to seek information about designated shelters. Upon entering, the person would have to notify a shelter operator immediately of the registration requirement. The notified operator would have to explain the restriction and provide information about any designated shelter.
(1) In general Except for the purpose of seeking information on designated shelters, a covered sex offender may not enter or use the services of an undesignated shelter. (2) Notification A covered sex offender who enters an undesignated shelter shall, immediately upon entering such shelter, notify any individual operating such shelter that such offender is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry. (3) Provision of information Upon receiving a notification from a covered sex offender under paragraph (2), the individual so notified shall inform such offender of— (A) any designated shelter; and (B) the prohibition in paragraph (1).
A covered person who knowingly violated the entry or service restriction, or the notification requirement, could face a federal fine, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. The penalty would apply when the violation occurs in or affects interstate commerce—commerce between states.
Whoever, in or affecting interstate commerce, being a covered sex offender, knowingly fails to comply with paragraph (1) or (2) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
The access restrictions, notification and operator-information duties, and criminal penalty in subsection (a) would take effect 180 days after enactment.
(a) Prohibition on use of undesignated shelters
(5) Effective date This subsection shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator could, as necessary, designate available federal buildings or federal prisons from the required lists as shelters. This authority would be discretionary. A designation would last for the duration of a qualifying disaster, as determined by the administrator.
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may, as necessary, designate a Federal building or Federal prison from the lists created pursuant to paragraph (2) as a designated shelter for the duration, as determined by the Administrator, of a disaster described in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
Within 180 days after enactment, and on an ongoing basis afterward, the General Services Administration administrator and Bureau of Prisons director would each have to supply the Federal Emergency Management Agency with lists of available federal buildings or federal prisons, respectively, for possible designation.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act and on an ongoing basis thereafter, the Administrator of the General Services Administration and Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall each make available to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency a list of available Federal buildings or Federal prisons, as appropriate, that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may designate pursuant to paragraph (1).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator would have to make information about every designated shelter available to each operator of an undesignated shelter.
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall make available to each individual operating an undesignated shelter information on each designated shelter.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated May 2, 2025, records introduction in the House on February 11, 2025, and referrals that day to the Transportation and Infrastructure and Judiciary committees and the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Source snapshot updated 2025-05-02T14:53:37Z.
2025-02-11: Introduced in House
2025-02-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
2025-02-11: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-11. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; accompanying materials needed to assess formal earmark status are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No narrow preferential carve-out or special benefit meeting the review definition was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Coverage of the population directly addressed by the shelter policy is not itself preferential treatment. This conclusion is limited to that version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: May 2, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI