[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 15, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of 
Columbia Courts Improvement Act of 2022. This bill would make several 
important improvements to the operations of the local District of 
Columbia courts.
  Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, D.C. has no authority to amend title 11 
of the D.C. Code (relating to organization and jurisdiction of the 
local D.C. courts). This bill only amends provisions in title 11.
  First, this bill makes several changes to jury service in the D.C. 
Superior Court. It ties Superior Court juror pay to the pay jurors 
receive in federal court. Superior Court jurors are currently paid less 
than federal jurors. The bill also modernizes juror summonses by giving 
prospective jurors the option to receive a summons electronically, 
which will save the court money on postage and staff time. The bill 
further allows jurors who are 70 years old or older to be excused from 
jury service if the individual so requests.
  Next, this bill allows the local D.C. courts to pay attorneys 
appointed to represent indigent defendants in criminal proceedings and 
indigent children in delinquency and need of supervision proceedings up 
to the amount currently allowed in federal court. The local D.C. 
courts' current rate is $42 per hour less than the federal rate. 
Similarly, the bill eliminates the $25 hourly rate fixed rate for D.C. 
Criminal Justice Act investigators and caps the rate at the rate of pay 
for investigators in the U.S. District Court for D.C. Investigators in 
federal court in D.C. are currently paid $65 an hour, and up to $75 an 
hour in death penalty and other complex cases.
  This bill also would move the appointment and removal of the Register 
of Wills (ROW) and supervisory responsibilities from the Chief Judge of 
the Superior Court to the Executive Officer of the D.C. courts. This 
change would provide the Executive Officer oversight of the personnel 
for the entire Probate Division, including the ROW, which will improve 
efficiency in making personnel decisions and in the overall 
administration of the Probate Division.
  While both the federal government and the District of Columbia 
government have statutory authority to give retroactive pay increase to 
employees, the local D.C. courts do not have this authority. This bill 
corrects this deficiency.
  The bill also changes references to the Domestic Violence Unit to the 
Domestic Violence Division, and updates references to individuals with 
intellectual disabilities. It would also increase the jurisdictional 
limit of the Small Claims Branch to $12,000, indexed for inflation.
  The bill further provides permanent authority to the local D.C. 
courts to retain bar examination and admission fees, independent gift 
authority, permanent procurement authority for motor vehicles and 
express authority to permit other entities to use their facilities.
  Legislation to improve the operations of the local D.C. Courts has 
been enacted into law several times over the last decade on a 
bipartisan basis. I hope this bill will likewise be passed in a 
bipartisan manner.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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