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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives unanimously passed 5 bills favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee:
“The bipartisan legislation passed today brings us one step closer to creating a more just criminal justice system, combatting notario fraud committed against our immigrant community, and protecting our nation’s athletes from sexual abuse. I am proud to see these meaningful bills passed with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, and I thank all who worked to get these reforms passed by the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives passed the following bills:
H.R. 8124, the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2020:
The Criminal Judicial Administration Act, introduced by Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Martha Roby (R-AL), authorizes courts, in the interests of justice, to order the U.S. Marshals to cover roundtrip travel and subsistence for defendants who must attend court hearings, but cannot afford to pay this on their own. The bill also amends current law to authorize a magistrate judge to hear post-judgment motions in misdemeanor cases in which he or she exercised trial jurisdiction.
H.R. 7718, the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2020:
The Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act, introduced by Representatives Karen Bass (D-CA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), mandates the development of specific policies, guidelines and trainings for the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals Service that pertain to pregnant and post-partum women, and bans restraints and restrictive housing pregnant and post-partum women. The bill also directs the GAO to study the services and protections in local and State correctional settings that are available for incarcerated pregnant women, and establishes a grant program, to be administered by the Department of Justice, to provide support to State and local facilities to implement programs equivalent to the federal programs developed by this bill.
H.R. 8225, the Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2020:
The Fight Notario Fraud Act, introduced by Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), criminalizes the unfortunately common practice of providing legal services—often fraudulently—in immigration matters to unwitting victims, despite having no legal authorization to practice law. The bill also requires the Attorney General to create at least 15 Special United States Attorney positions to prosecute notario fraud crimes, and it assigns the authority to prosecute and coordinate these cases to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section within the Department of Justice.
S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020:
The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act, introduced by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) with similar legislation introduced by Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA), will strengthen legal liability and accountability mechanisms for both the U.S. Olympic Committee and the governing bodies of specific sports. Additionally, it create clear procedures and reporting requirements for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to ensure athletes are protected moving forward, and ensures that allegations of sexual abuse against athletes can be independently investigated without the interference of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee or a national sports governing body.
H.R. 6813, the Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act:
The Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act, introduced by Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), requires the Justice Department to ensure that its training materials under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act include information specifically targeted at treating, protecting and caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The bill also establishes a new requirement for the Justice Department to develop training materials to address situations in which individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementia may be involved in a criminal case or proceeding as a victim or a witness.
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