A bill to amend or disapprove certain amendments to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence proposed by the Supreme Court.
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Amends and disapproves certain amendments to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure proposed by the Supreme Court. Disapproves the proposed amendments relating to the admissibility of pleas (Rule 11), subpoenas (Rule 17), and production of statements of witnesses (Rule 26.2). Revises the proposed amendment relating to the procedures for revocation of probation (Rule 32.1) to authorize a probation officer to issue a summons for or arrest a probationer or the court to issue a warrant, if there is cause to believe that a probationer has violated a condition of probation. Eliminates from the proposed amendment relating to the assignment of counsel (Rule 44) the provision requiring, in cases involving joint representation, the court to protect each defendant's right to counsel "unless it appears that there is good cause to believe that no conflict of interest is likely to arise."
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on September 4, 1980. 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 September 4, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 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?
EDWARD KENNEDY (D-MA) introduced it on September 4, 1980, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
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 September 4, 1980, 16807 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16807 days ago, on September 4, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers