[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 135 (Tuesday, August 13, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1050]
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

                        Tuesday, August 13, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today I introduced a bill to require the 
Directors 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 that supervises offenders only 
in D.C. PSA is an independent agency within CSOSA that supervises 
defendants only in D.C. This bill would not apply to those already in 
office upon enactment.
  Congress has justifiably required that certain federal officials 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 are not required to do 
so. 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 for the residents they serve.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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