Norton Bill to Strengthen Local Justice Process in D.C. Approved by Committee Today

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) bill to give the District of Columbia Courts, Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) authority routinely held by most federal agencies was approved today by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Among other technical changes, the bill would allow the courts to collect debts owed by its employees to the courts; would 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 would authorize CSOSA to solicit, receive and use gifts for the purpose of advancing its work.

In her statement for the Congressional Record introducing the bill, Norton said, “The bill would make minor, technical changes to the authorities of the District of Columbia Courts (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), placing these entities in the same position as their federal counterparts for more effective management and operation.”

Norton’s full introduction statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the District of Columbia Courts, Public Defender Service, and Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Act of 2014

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce an important bill for the administration of justice in the District of Columbia. The bill would make minor, technical changes to the authorities of the District of Columbia Courts (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), placing these entities in the same position as their federal counterparts for more effective management and operation.

This bill would allow the Courts to collect debts owed to it by its employees (e.g., debts from loss or damage to property, improper credit card payments, erroneous payments to employees). The Executive Officer of the Courts would have to provide employees with at least 30 days’ written notice regarding the debt collection, and employees would have the right to a hearing conducted by an independent officer. The bill would also give the Courts the authority to purchase uniforms to ensure the safety of its building engineers, facilities maintenance workers and mail personnel. These service employees must regularly access buildings run by the Courts at all hours. The increase in the number of security incidents in courthouses throughout the country and the location of the Courts in the nation’s capital require visual security and uniformity of staff to help ensure that unauthorized persons do not enter secure areas.

The bill would expressly 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. It would also allow PDS board members to be treated as PDS employees for purposes of liability. Apparently, a drafting oversight in the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 makes PDS’s volunteer board of trustees District of Columbia employees for purposes of any action brought against board members. This bill would rectify this oversight.

Finally, the bill would allow CSOSA to develop and implement incentive-based programming to accompany its current sanction policies. Combining both sanctions and incentives has been proven to be more effective in improving compliance with supervision. The bill also would authorize CSOSA to solicit, receive and use gifts for the purpose of advancing its work, and would require the Director to keep detailed records on the use of CSOSA’s gift authority. It would also permit the Director to enter into cost-reimbursable agreements with the D.C. government for space or services provided. The D.C. government is a frequent partner of CSOSA due to its location in D.C. and CSOSA’s mandate to assist in the reintegration of D.C. code offenders into society. Giving CSOSA the authority to enter into reimbursable agreements with the District is necessary to assist CSOSA in its daily work.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Published: March 12, 2014