Chamber Puts Jan. 8 Sentencing Bill on Agenda, Chaotic Session Delays Vote

Overview

• Hugo Motta placed the so‑called dosimetry bill on the plenary agenda, saying it addresses sentence reductions and excludes a general amnesty.
• The substitute by Paulinho da Força treats overlapping democracy‑related crimes as a single act for sentencing, allows one‑third to two‑thirds reductions for non‑leaders in crowd contexts, restores progression after one‑sixth of the sentence, and clarifies remission for study or work in home confinement.
• Media calculations and the relator’s estimates indicate Jair Bolsonaro’s time in a closed regime could fall to roughly two to three years if the changes apply retroactively, with any benefits granted only after defense requests and court review.
• The government announced it will direct votes against the proposal, while PL leader Sóstenes Cavalcante said the party will not push an immediate amnesty and that Bolsonaro authorized advancing the penalty‑reduction text.
• A tumultuous plenary scene, including the forcible removal of Deputy Glauber Braga after he occupied the speaker’s chair, led to postponement of the vote, leaving Senate consideration, potential presidential vetoes, and judicial scrutiny still ahead.