Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed two bills within the Committee’s jurisdiction:
“I am extremely proud of the bipartisan legislation shepherded by the Judiciary Committee and passed by the House of Representatives today. The Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act brings long-overdue reform to our criminal justice system by ensuring electronic communication between attorneys and incarcerated clients in federal prisons remains confidential. The Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act closes a loophole in Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring process, an important step that will help restore confidence in the Island's future. I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who worked to get these bills passed, and I look forward to seeing these bills signed into law.”
The House of Representatives passed the following bills:
H.R. 546 - Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act
The Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, introduced by Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), requires the Bureau of Prisons to establish a system to exempt from monitoring any privileged electronic communications between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys or legal representatives. The bill passed by a vote of 414-11.
H.R. 1192 - Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act of 2021
The Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act or PRRADA, introduced by Representative Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY), closes a loophole in Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring process, improves transparency, and restores confidence and integrity in the process. The bill guarantees to the people of Puerto Rico the same transparency and disclosure practices required by law in U.S. mainland bankruptcies. The bill passed by a vote of 429-0.
