S. 421: Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-02-07 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-02-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2019

Plain summary

Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2019 This bill removes federal restrictions on, and creates new protections for, marijuana-related conduct and activities that are authorized by state or tribal law (i.e., state-authorized). Among other things, the bill does the following: eliminates regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act for state-authorized marijuana-related activities; allows businesses that sell marijuana in compliance with state or tribal law to claim certain federal tax credits and deductions; eliminates restrictions on print and broadcast advertising of state-authorized marijuana-related activities; creates protections for depository institutions that provide financial services to marijuana-related businesses; specifies that a marijuana-related business is entitled to federal bankruptcy protections; establishes a process to expunge criminal records related to certain marijuana-related convictions; reestablishes federal student aid eligibility for certain students convicted of a misdemeanor offense for marijuana possession; exempts real property from civil forfeiture due to state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; prohibits the inadmissibility or deportability of aliens for state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; specifies that drug-related criminal activity, which is prohibited in federally assisted housing, does not include state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; establishes a new, separate registration process to facilitate medical marijuana research; authorizes health care providers employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend participation in state marijuana programs; and authorizes medical providers through an Indian health program to make medical recommendations regarding marijuana.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] reported raising $1.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s421.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s421 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116