[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 59 (Thursday, May 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4618-S4619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Heflin, and Mr. Gregg):
  S. 1721. A bill to authorize appropriations for the purposes of 
carrying out the activities of the State Justice Institute for fiscal 
years 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.


        the state justice institute reauthorization act of 1996

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
not only for myself, but for Senator Heflin, the ranking minority 
member of the Court Subcommittee of Judiciary, and for Senator Gregg.
  This legislation would reauthorize the State Justice Institute [SJI] 
for 4 more years through fiscal year 2000. Congress originally 
authorized the State Justice Institute for 4 years in the State Justice 
Institute Act of 1984, then reauthorized it for 4 more years in 1988, 
and another 4 years in 1992. The bill I introduce today will authorize 
annual appropriations for this program of $20 million each of those 4 
years.
  The requested authorization levels will enable the State Justice 
Institute to fully carry out its statutory mission to award grants, to 
improve the quality of justice in State courts throughout the 50 States 
of our Nation.
  The State Justice Institute serves critically important Federal 
purposes. Just as Federal financial assistance to State and local 
police, prosecutors, and corrections is critically needed to help them 
control crime, it is equally imperative that Federal funds assist the 
State courts that decide 98 percent of the criminal cases brought in 
this country.
  SJI plays an important role in the Nation's response to crime by 
providing the critically needed funding to support projects that 
evaluate the effectiveness of new trial and sentencing approaches, 
and improve judges, performance in cases involving violent crimes and 
drug abuse.

  The Institute also has been a leader in fostering improvements in the 
civil justice system by supporting efforts to evaluate innovative 
procedures to reduce litigation delay, demonstrate innovative 
alternative dispute resolution programs, and increase the public's 
access to the legal system. In addition, the Institute has devoted 
considerable resources to improving the public's confidence in both the 
criminal and civil justice system.
  The list of the Institute's current grant priorities reveals just how 
important it is to our overwhelmed State court system. The Institute's 
1996 grants will focus on: children and families in court; improving 
public confidence in the courts; application of technology; education 
and training for judges and key court personnel; the relationship 
between State and Federal courts; and projects following up on recent 
Institute-supported conferences on court-community collaboration, drug 
courts, funding the courts, and eliminating race and ethnic bias in the 
courts.
  Mr. President, the Institute has performed the mission Congress 
assigned it exceedingly well. The judges and court staff who toil in 
our Nation's underfunded and outmoded State courthouses commend the 
Institute as the only national source of support for innovation, 
education, and information about how other States are coping with 
similar problems in their struggle to better serve the public.
  The Institute is the only vehicle the Federal Government has to 
assure that State courts deliver a high quality of justice to every 
citizen in every type of case. By doing so, the Institute fulfills the 
highest standards of federalism. Its seed money bears fruit across the 
country, carrying out SJI's important national purposes in a cost-
efficient manner that maximizes the impact of every dollar that 
Congress provides.
  Reduced to its core, that is State Justice Institute's special role: 
Supporting promising innovations and spreading the word about them to 
every key State--and Federal--judge and court official. That saves 
State and Federal governments significant money, time, and effort on a 
national scale.
  The bill also specifies that funds appropriated to the Institute are 
available until expended, without regard to the expiration of the year 
in which they were appropriated, and proposes three technical 
amendments to the State Justice Institute Act.
  Mr. President, as chair of the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on 
Administrative Oversight and the Courts, which has oversight authority 
over SJI, I am pleased to note that the cosponsor of this bill is the 
ranking member of that subcommittee, senator Heflin. We urge the Senate 
to continue its support of the Institute in order to enhance the State 
courts' ability to deliver effective justice in areas that are 
critically important to the Federal Government and the American public.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1721

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``State Justice Institute 
     Reauthorization Act of 1996''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 215 of the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 
     U.S.C. 10713) is amended to read as follows:


                            ``authorizations

       ``Sec. 215. There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out the purposes of this title, $20,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, to remain available 
     until expended.''.

     SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Open Meetings.--Section 204(j) of the State Justice 
     Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10703(j)) is amended by 
     inserting ``(on any occasion on which that committee has been 
     delegated the authority to act on behalf of the Board)'' 
     after ``executive committee of the Board''.
       (b) Report by Attorney General.--Section 213 of the State 
     Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10712) is repealed.


[[Page S4619]]


  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor the legislation 
Senator Grassley is introducing today to reauthorize the State Justice 
Institute for another 4 years.
  I was the original sponsor of the State Justice Institute Act when 
Congress first passed the act in 1984, and when it reauthorized SJI in 
1988 and 1992.
  The State Justice Institute has proven to be a uniquely valuable 
component of the Nation's justice system. Among all the agencies in the 
Federal Government, SJI is the only organization dedicated to helping 
the State courts of our Nation. Mr. President, those counts handle well 
over 95 percent of all the criminal prosecutions and civil litigation 
brought in this country.
  No one State can provide the funds for innovation that SJI can, and 
no State has the ability, the money, or, in fact, the reason to share 
its good ideas with every other State. That's the role SJI plays, and 
it has worked very well with the very modest appropriations Congress 
has provided over the years.
  Congress has entrusted the decision about what innovations merit SJI 
support to a board of directors composed--by statute--of State supreme 
court justices, appellate and trial judges, court administrators, and 
members of the public, all of whom who are keenly aware of the real 
problems in our courts and dedicated to assuring that SJI target its 
funds at the courts' most serious problems nationwide.
  In this era of Federal fiscal responsibility and restored political 
balance between Federal and State governments, this small, economical 
institute that is governed largely by State officials may be an 
excellent working model for any Federal grant program that serves 
important national purposes.
  At a time when every segment of American society is demanding a more 
effective justice system, Congress must keep alive the only Federal 
entity that is dedicated to helping the State courts of this country 
manage an overwhelming torrent of cases with greater effectiveness, 
efficiency, and justice.
  I am pleased to join Senator Grassley in sponsoring this important 
legislation.
       By Mr. WELLSTONE:
  S. 1722. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the 
National Labor Relations Act, to strengthen minimum wage and striker 
replacement, and to ensure quality job training, education, health 
care, and pension security for workers, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

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