[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 190 (Monday, December 3, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES 
 AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY TO RESIDE 
                      IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 3, 2018

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce a bill to require the 
Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the 
District of Columbia (CSOSA) and the District of Columbia Pretrial 
Services Agency (PSA) to reside in the District of Columbia during 
their tenure.
  CSOSA is an independent federal agency created by Congress in the 
Revitalization Act that supervises only D.C. offenders on parole, 
probation and supervised release. PSA is an independent agency within 
CSOSA that supervises D.C. and federal defendants. This bill would be 
prospective and not apply to those already in office upon enactment.
  Congress has justifiably understood that federal officials must live 
in the jurisdiction they serve to ensure in-depth knowledge of the 
unique issues and challenges residents and these federal officials 
face, but federal officials serving the District have been excluded 
from such a requirement. This patronizing leftover from when the 
District was governed by the federal government has real effects on 
residents. There is no reason that the Directors of CSOSA and PSA, 
federal agencies that uniquely serve D.C. residents, should not be 
required to live in the District, engage with local communities and 
work closely with local officials. Adding residency requirements for 
federal officials serving the District is a matter of fairness that 
would make D.C. more like the states and even the territories, who 
enjoy residency requirements.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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