Norton Applauds Senate for Passing Senator Johnson’s Bill to Strengthen Local Justice Process in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was grateful to Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), after the Senate yesterday passed his bill by unanimous consent to modernize and improve the daily operations of the District of Columbia Courts, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA). The 1997 Revitalization Act transferred the costs and operations of some state functions, including these three agencies, to the federal government. Norton introduced the same version of the bill last year and the House passed it by voice vote. HSGAC has jurisdiction over D.C.

"I thank Chairman Ron Johnson for his hard work in shepherding this important bill to improve the District of Columbia's justice system," Norton said. "His leadership should be instrumental in helping us achieve a similar result in the House on this uncontroversial justice system bill."

Among other technical changes, the bill would authorize CSOSA to use incentives-based programs for offenders, instead of only sanctions to get compliance; allow PDS to accept and use public grants, voluntary and uncompensated services, such as unpaid law clerks and interns and private contributions made to advance PDS's work; and allow the courts to collect debts owed by its employees to the courts.