District of Columbia Defender Services Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Defender Services Act - Establishes a District of Columbia Defender Service to be governed by a Board of Trustees which shall provide or cause to be provided legal representation before the courts of the District of Columbia for persons financially unable to retain counsel. Provides that, after consultation with the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration in the District of Columbia and the bar of the District of Columbia, the Board shall establish and place in operation in the District of Columbia a plan for furnishing representation for any person who is financially unable to obtain adequate representation and: (1) who is charged with a felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense for which a jury trial may be required by the laws of the District of Columbia or the Constitution; (2) who is under arrest, when such representation is required by law; (3) who is subject to proceedings pursuant to the District of Columbia Code (hospitalization of the mentally ill); (4) who is a juvenile and alleged to be delinquent or in need of supervision; or (5) who is charged with violating a condition of probation or parole, in custody as a material witness, or seeking collateral relief. Stipulates that counsel furnishing representation under the plan shall in every case be selected from panels of attorneys designated and approved by the Service in accordance with procedures established by the Board. Provides that a person for whom counsel is appointed shall be represented at every stage of the proceedings from his initial appearance before the court through appeals, including ancillary matters appropriate to the proceedings. Authorizes to be appropriated for each fiscal year, out of any moneys in the Treasury to the credit of the District of Columbia, such sums as may be necessary to implement the purposes of this Act. Directs the Director to employ a staff of attorneys and clerical and other personnel necessary to provide adequate and effective defense services. States that no attorney employed by the Service shall engage in private practice.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on April 24, 1974. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on April 24, 1974: Referred to House Committee on the District of Columbia.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
CHARLES DIGGS (D-MI) introduced it on April 24, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 24, 1974, 19132 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19132 days ago, on April 24, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers