§ 991. United States Sentencing Commission; establishment and purposes
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/usc/title-28/section-991A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
(a)There is established as an independent commission in the judicial branch of the United States a United States Sentencing Commission which shall consist of seven voting members and one nonvoting member. The President, after consultation with representatives of judges, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, law enforcement officials, senior citizens, victims of crime, and others interested in the criminal justice process, shall appoint the voting members of the Commission, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, as the Chair and three of whom shall be designated by the President as Vice Chairs. At least 3 of the members shall be Federal judges selected after considering a list of six judges recommended to the President by the Judicial Conference of the United States. Not more than four of the members of the Commission shall be members of the same political party, and of the three Vice Chairs, no more than two shall be members of the same political party. The Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee, shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the Commission. The Chair, Vice Chairs, and members of the Commission shall be subject to removal from the Commission by the President only for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office or for other good cause shown.
(b)The purposes of the United States Sentencing Commission are to—
(1)establish sentencing policies and practices for the Federal criminal justice system that—
(A)assure the meeting of the purposes of sentencing as set forth in section 3553(a)(2) of title 18, United States Code;
(B)provide certainty and fairness in meeting the purposes of sentencing, avoiding unwarranted sentencing disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar criminal conduct while maintaining sufficient flexibility to permit individualized sentences when warranted by mitigating or aggravating factors not taken into account in the establishment of general sentencing practices; and
(C)reflect, to the extent practicable, advancement in knowledge of human behavior as it relates to the criminal justice process; and
(2)develop means of measuring the degree to which the sentencing, penal, and correctional practices are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in section 3553(a)(2) of title 18, United States Code.
(Added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 217(a), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2017; amended Pub. L. 99–22, § 1(1), Apr. 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 46; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXVIII, § 280005(a), (c)(1), (2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2096, 2097; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(11), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507; Pub. L. 108–21, title IV, § 401(n)(1), Apr. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 675; Pub. L. 110–406, § 16, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4295.)
Connections73 cite this · traces to 3
Cited by 73 sections · top 52
statutes-at-large
- Public Law 98–472
- Public Law 99–180Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1986, and for other purposes
- Public Law 99–88Making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1985, and for other purposes
- Public Law 104–294To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect proprietary economic information, and for other purposes
- Public Law 108–21To prevent child abduction and the sexual exploitation of children, and for other purposes
register
- NoticesNotice
- NoticesNotice of proposed priorities
- Proposed RulesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice; Request for public comment
- NoticesNotice of proposed priorities
- NoticesNotice of proposed priorities
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of final action regarding amendments to Federal sentencing guidelines effective November 1, 2006; correction
- Rules and RegulationsNotice and request for public comment and hearing
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice; request for public comment
- NoticesNotice; Request for public comment
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of proposed priorities
- NoticesNotice of proposed priorities
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice; Request for public comment
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of (1) amendments to the sentencing guidelines made pursuant to the directive in section 401(m) of the PROTECT Act, Public Law 108-21; and (2) conforming amendments to the congressional amendments to the guidelines made directly by the PROTECT Act and effective on May 30, 2003
- Proposed RulesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice; Request for public comment
- NoticesNotice; request for public comment
- NoticesNotice; request for comment
- Presidential DocumentsNotice of submission to Congress of amendments to the sentencing guidelines effective November 1, 2025, and request for comment
- NoticesNotice of (1) submission to Congress of amendments to the sentencing guidelines effective November 1, 2014; and (2) request for comment
- NoticesNotice; request for public comment
- Proposed RulesNotice of proposed priorities
- NoticesNotice
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of (1) retroactive application of certain amendments submitted to Congress on May 1, 2000; (2) final policy priorities for amendment cycle ending May 1, 2001; and (3) request for comment on proposed criteria for selecting circuit conflict issues as policy priorities
- NoticesNotice and request for public comment and hearing
- NoticesNotice of: (1) Promulgation of temporary, emergency amendment to the sentencing guidelines for copyright and trademark infringement, effective May 1, 2000; (2) submission to Congress of amendments to the sentencing guidelines; and (3) request for comment
- Rules and RegulationsNotice of final priorities
- NoticesNotice of proposed amendments to the Sentencing Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure
- NoticesNotice of final action regarding retroactive application of Parts A and B, Subpart 1 of Amendment 821 (Amendment 8 of the amendments submitted to Congress on April 27, 2023), pertaining to criminal history
- NoticesNotice and request for public comment and hearing
- Presidential DocumentsNotice of proposed amendments to sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary
- NoticesNotice; request for comment
- NoticesNotice of application (“Application”) for exemption, pursuant to section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), from the provisions of sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the Act and Rules 6e-2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder
- Presidential DocumentsNotice of submission to Congress of amendments to the sentencing guidelines effective November 1, 2010
- NoticesNotice of final priorities
statute-compilations
Traces to 3 documents
24 references not yet in our index
- Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 217(a)
- 98 Stat. 2017
- Pub. L. 99–22, § 1(1)
- 99 Stat. 46
- Pub. L. 103–322, title XXVIII, § 280005(a)
- 108 Stat. 2096
- Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(11)
- 110 Stat. 3507
- Pub. L. 108–21, title IV, § 401(n)(1)
- 117 Stat. 675
- Pub. L. 110–406, § 16
- 122 Stat. 4295
- Pub. L. 110–406
- Pub. L. 108–21
- Pub. L. 104–294
- Pub. L. 103–322
- Pub. L. 103–322, § 280005(c)(1)
- Pub. L. 103–322, § 280005(a)
- Pub. L. 99–22
- Pub. L. 108–21, title IV, § 401(n)(2)
- 117 Stat. 676
- section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294
- section 235(a)(1)(B)(i) of Pub. L. 98–473
- section 235(b)(5) of Pub. L. 98–473
Citation graph
cites case law
§ 991
United States Sentencing Commission; establishment and purposes
Fed. Reg.×64
Stat.×5
U.S.C.×3
Stat. Comp.×1
Pub. L.Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 217(a)
Stat.98 Stat. 2017
Pub. L.Pub. L. 99–22, § 1(1)
Stat.99 Stat. 46
Pub. L.Pub. L. 103–322, title XXVIII, § 280005(a)
Cites 27 · showing 8Cited by 73 across 4 sources