Who it affects
- U.S. citizens in federal prisons
- Noncitizens in federal prisons
- Bureau of Prisons
In committeePrisonsImmigrationIdentification documents
New Pathways Act
H.R. 8645 · House bill · Introduced April 30, 2026
The New Pathways Act would change Bureau of Prisons requirements for providing or helping prisoners obtain identification documents before release.
At a glance
Where it stands
In committee
How South Carolina voted
No recorded votes yet.
See each vote ↓Lobbying and money
No lobbying reported yet
Lobbyists report every three months, about 20 days after each quarter ends. We have January 2025 through September 2026 reports. Newer reports will be added once filed and published.
What it would do
- The bill changes what the Bureau of Prisons must do about prisoners’ identification documents before release.
- For U.S. citizens, it must obtain and provide a Social Security card, proof of citizenship, and photo ID.
- For noncitizens, it must help obtain documents proving their legal status.
- It must also help noncitizens obtain a document authorizing them to work, if applicable.
Written with AI from the official summary by Congress's research office.
How South Carolina voted
No recorded roll-call vote on this bill yet.
Groups that lobbied on it and gave to SC's members
PAC, lobbyist campaign and qualifying employee money this election, shown separately and never added together. Lobbying reports name the bills a group worked on, not which side it took.
No lobbying reported yet. Lobbyists report every three months, about 20 days after each quarter ends. We have January 2025 through September 2026 reports. Newer reports will be added once filed and published.
Official record
Official title, sponsor and status
- Official title
- To amend the Second Chance Act of 2007 to require identification for returning citizens, and for other purposes.
- Sponsor
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie (D-NJ)
- Introduced
- April 30, 2026
- Cosponsors
- 8
- Committees
- House Judiciary Committee
- Latest action
- April 30, 2026 · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Official summary from the Congressional Research Service
New Pathways Act This bill revises existing requirements for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to help prisoners obtain identification documents prior to their release. With respect to U.S. citizens, the BOP must obtain and provide a Social Security card, a proof of U.S. citizenship document, and a photo identification card. With respect to noncitizens, the BOP must help obtain proof of lawful status and, if applicable, an employment authorization document.
Summary on Congress.gov ↗Everyone who lobbied on this bill (0 groups)
No lobbying report we have loaded names this bill. That doesn't mean no lobbying took place.
Lobbyists report every three months, about 20 days after each quarter ends. We have January 2025 through September 2026 reports. Newer reports will be added once filed and published. Reports for October through December 2026 are due January 20, 2027.