The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would reduce the disparity between mandatory federal sentences for crack and powder cocaine, which many legal experts say disproportionately punishes black defendants. The bill, which passed the Senate in March, now goes to President Obama for his signature.

Under the current law, a person convicted in federal court of possession of five grams of crack must be sentenced to at least five years in prison, and possession of 10 grams requires a 10-year minimum sentence. With powder cocaine, the threshold amounts for those mandatory sentences are 100 times as high. In the new bill, the 100-to-1 ratio is reduced, making the amount of crack that would result in a five-year minimum sentence 28 grams, and for a 10-year sentence, 280 grams.

The legislation also includes other sentencing changes, including eliminating the five-year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack, raising the fines for major drug trafficking, and increasing sentences for those who use violence while trafficking drugs.

