UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION
Sentencing Guidelines for Courts
AGENCY: United States Sentencing Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed amendments to sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. Request for public comment, including public comment regarding retroactive application of any of the proposed amendments. Notice of public hearing.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 994(a), (o), and (p) of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission is considering promulgating amendments to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. This notice sets forth the proposed amendments and, for each proposed amendment, a synopsis of the issues addressed by that amendment. This notice also sets forth several issues for comment, some of which are set forth together with the proposed amendments, and one of which (regarding retroactive application of proposed amendments) is set forth in the Supplementary Information section of this notice.
DATES: (1) Written Public Comment.―Written public comment regarding the proposed amendments and issues for comment set forth in this notice, including public comment regarding retroactive application of any of the proposed amendments, should be received by the Commission not later than March 6, 2018. Written reply comments, which may only respond to issues raised during the original comment period, should be received by the Commission not later than March 28, 2018. Public comment regarding a proposed amendment received after the close of the comment period, and reply comment received on issues not raised during the original comment period, may not be considered.
(2) Public Hearing.―The Commission may hold a public hearing regarding the proposed amendments and issues for comment set forth in this notice. Further information regarding any public hearing that may be scheduled, including requirements for testifying and providing written testimony, as well as the date, time, location, and scope of the hearing, will be provided by the Commission on its website at www.ussc.gov.
ADDRESSES: All written comment should be sent to the Commission by electronic mail or regular mail. The email address for public comment is Public_Comment@ussc.gov. The regular mail address for public comment is United States Sentencing Commission, One Columbus Circle, N.E., Suite 2-500, Washington, D.C. 20002-8002, Attention: Public Affairs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Leonard, Director, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs, (202) 502-4500, pubaffairs@ussc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judicial branch of the United States Government. The Commission promulgates sentencing guidelines and policy statements for federal courts pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(a). The Commission also periodically reviews and revises previously promulgated guidelines pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(o) and submits guideline amendments to the Congress not later than the first day of May each year pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(p).
Publication of a proposed amendment requires the affirmative vote of at least three voting members of the Commission and is deemed to be a request for public comment on the proposed amendment. See USSC Rules of Practice and Procedure 2.2, 4.4. In contrast, the affirmative vote of at least four voting members is required to promulgate an amendment and submit it to Congress. See id. 2.2; 28 U.S.C. § 994(p).
The proposed amendments in this notice are presented in one of two formats. First, some of the amendments are proposed as specific revisions to a guideline, policy statement, or commentary. Bracketed text within a proposed amendment indicates a heightened interest on the Commission’s part in comment and suggestions regarding alternative policy choices; for example, a proposed enhancement of [2][4][6] levels indicates that the Commission is considering, and invites comment on, alternative policy choices regarding the appropriate level of enhancement. Similarly, bracketed text within a specific offense characteristic or application note means that the Commission specifically invites comment on whether the proposed provision is appropriate. Second, the Commission has highlighted certain issues for comment and invites suggestions on how the Commission should respond to those issues.
In summary, the proposed amendments and issues for comment set forth in this notice are as follows:
(1) a multi-part proposed amendment to §2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses); Attempt or Conspiracy), including (A) amending the Drug Equivalency Tables in §2D1.1 to (i) set forth a class-based marihuana equivalency applicable to synthetic cathinones (except Schedule III, IV, and V substances) of 1 gram = [200]/[380]/[500] grams of marihuana, bracketing the possibility of making this class-based marihuana equivalency also applicable to methcathinone, and (ii) establish a minimum base offense level of [12] for cases involving synthetic cathinones (except Schedule III, IV, and V substances), and related issues for comment; (B) amending the Drug Equivalency Tables in §2D1.1 to (i) set forth a class-based marihuana equivalency applicable to synthetic cannabinoids (except Schedule III, IV, and V substances) of 1 gram = [167]/[334]/[500] grams of marihuana, (ii) provide a definition for the term “synthetic cannabinoid,” and (iii) bracket the possibility of establishing a minimum base offense level of [12] for cases involving synthetic cannabinoids (except Schedule III, IV, and V substances), and related issues for comment; and (C) amending §2D1.1 to (i) provide penalties for offenses involving fentanyl equivalent to the higher penalties currently provided for offenses involving fentanyl analogues, (ii) provide a definition for the term “fentanyl analogue,” set forth a single marihuana equivalency applicable to any fentanyl analogue of 1 gram = 10 kilograms of marihuana, and specify in the Drug Quantity Table that the penalties relating to “fentanyl” apply to the substance identified as “N-phenyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl )-4-piperidinyl] Propenamide,” and (iii) provide an enhancement in cases in which fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue is misrepresented or marketed as another substance, and related issues for comment;
(2) a multi-part proposed amendment to §2L1.2 (Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States) to respond to miscellaneous guidelines application issues, including (A) amending §2L1.2(b)(2) so that its applicability turns on whether the defendant “engaged in criminal conduct” before he or she was ordered deported or ordered removed from the United States for the first time, rather than whether the defendant sustained the resulting conviction or convictions before that event, and a related issue for comment; and (B) amending Application Note 2 of the Commentary to §2L1.2 to clarify that, consistent with the meaning of “sentence of imprisonment” under §4A1.2 (Definitions and Instructions for Computing Criminal History), the phrase “sentence imposed” in §2L1.2 includes any term of imprisonment given upon revocation of probation, parole, or supervised release, regardless of when the revocation occurred; and
(3) a proposed amendment to make various technical changes to the Guidelines Manual, including (A) technical changes to provide updated references to certain sections in Title 16, United States Code, that were restated, with minor revisions, when Congress enacted a new Title 54; (B) technical changes to reflect the editorial reclassification of certain provisions bearing on crime control and law enforcement, previously scattered throughout various parts of the United States Code, to a new Title 34; and (C) a clerical change to §8C2.1 (Applicability of Fine Guidelines) to delete an outdated reference to §2C1.6, which was deleted by consolidation with §2C1.2 (Offering, Giving, Soliciting, or Receiving a Gratuity) effective November 1, 2004.
In addition, the Commission requests public comment regarding whether, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) and 28 U.S.C. § 994(u), any proposed amendment published in this notice should be included in subsection (d) of §1B1.10 (Reduction in Term of Imprisonment as a Result of Amended Guideline Range (Policy Statement)) as an amendment that may be applied retroactively to previously sentenced defendants. The Commission lists in §1B1.10(d) the specific guideline amendments that the court may apply retroactively under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). The background commentary to §1B1.10 lists the purpose of the amendment, the magnitude of the change in the guideline range made by the amendment, and the difficulty of applying the amendment retroactively to determine an amended guideline range under §1B1.10(b) as among the factors the Commission considers in selecting the amendments included in §1B1.10(d). To the extent practicable, public comment should address each of these factors.
The text of the proposed amendments and related issues for comment are set forth in the full text below. Additional information pertaining to the proposed amendments and issues for comment described in this notice may be accessed through the Commission’s website.
AUTHORITY: 28 U.S.C. § 994(a), (o), (p), (x); USSC Rules of Practice and Procedure 2.2, 4.3, 4.4.
William H. Pryor, Jr.,
Acting Chair