H.R. 5449 · 114th Congress
Independent and Effective Federal Defenders Act of 2016
- Stage
- In committee
- Sponsor
- Ted Deutch
- Introduced
- 2016-06-10
- Latest action
- 2016-06-15 · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Summary
Independent and Effective Federal Defenders Act of 2016
This bill amends the federal criminal code to revise requirements related to the provision of adequate representation for defendants in federal criminal cases. Under current law, each U.S. district court must operate a plan, in accordance with specified requirements, for furnishing representation to any eligible person who is financially unable to obtain adequate representation. The bill revises these requirements and establishes the Federal Defender Commission as an independent agency tasked with ensuring the provision of adequate representation.