H. R. 2657—13
by the American Bar Association and the National Council
of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
‘‘(8) If the Family Court failed to meet the deadlines, stand-
ards, and outcome measures described in the previous para-
graphs, a proposed remedial action plan to address the failure.’’.
(b) EXPEDITED APPEALS FOR CERTAIN FAMILY COURT ACTIONS
AND PROCEEDINGS.—Section 11–721, District of Columbia Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(g) Any appeal from an order of the Family Court of the
District of Columbia terminating parental rights or granting or
denying a petition to adopt shall receive expedited review by the
District of Columbia Court of Appeals.’’.
(c) PLAN FOR INTEGRATING COMPUTER SYSTEMS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Mayor of the District of
Columbia shall submit to the President and Congress a plan
for integrating the computer systems of the District government
with the computer systems of the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia so that the Family Court of the Superior Court
and the appropriate offices of the District government which
provide social services and other related services to individuals
and families served by the Family Court of the Superior Court
(including the District of Columbia Public Schools, the District
of Columbia Housing Authority, the Child and Family Services
Agency, the Office of the Corporation Counsel, the Metropolitan
Police Department, the Department of Health, and other offices
determined by the Mayor) will be able to access and share
information on the individuals and families served by the
Family Court.
(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are author-
ized to be appropriated to the Mayor of the District of Columbia
such sums as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1).
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for chapter
11 of title 11, District of Columbia Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following new items:
‘‘11–1102. Use of alternative dispute resolution.
‘‘11–1103. Standards of practice for appointed counsel.
‘‘11–1104. Administration.
‘‘11–1105. Social services and other related services.
‘‘11–1106. Reports to Congress.’’.
SEC. 5. TREATMENT OF HEARING COMMISSIONERS AS MAGISTRATE
JUDGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) REDESIGNATION
OF
TITLE.—Section 11–1732, District
of Columbia Code, is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘hearing commissioners’’ each place it
appears in subsection (a), subsection (b), subsection (d),
subsection (i), subsection (l), and subsection (n) and
inserting ‘‘magistrate judges’’;
(B) by striking ‘‘hearing commissioner’’ each place it
appears in subsection (b), subsection (c), subsection (e),
subsection (f), subsection (g), subsection (h), and subsection
(j) and inserting ‘‘magistrate judge’’;
(C) by striking ‘‘hearing commissioner’s’’ each place
it appears in subsection (e) and subsection (k) and inserting
‘‘magistrate judge’s’’;
H. R. 2657—14
(D) by striking ‘‘Hearing commissioners’’ each place
it appears in subsections (b), (d), and (i) and inserting
‘‘Magistrate judges’’; and
(E) in the heading, by striking ‘‘Hearing commis-
sioners’’ and inserting ‘‘Magistrate judges’’.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 16–924, District
of Columbia Code, is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘hearing commissioner’’ each place it
appears and inserting ‘‘magistrate judge’’; and
(B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘hearing commis-
sioner’s’’ and inserting ‘‘magistrate judge’s’’.
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The item relating to section
11–1732 of the table of sections of chapter 17 of title 11,
D.C. Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘11–1732. Magistrate judges.’’.
(b) TRANSITION
PROVISION
REGARDING
HEARING
COMMIS-
SIONERS.—Any individual serving as a hearing commissioner under
section 11–1732 of the District of Columbia Code as of the date
of the enactment of this Act shall serve the remainder of such
individual’s term as a magistrate judge, and may be reappointed
as a magistrate judge in accordance with section 11–1732(d), Dis-
trict of Columbia Code, except that any individual serving as a
hearing commissioner as of the date of the enactment of this Act
who was appointed as a hearing commissioner prior to the effective
date of section 11–1732 of the District of Columbia Code shall
not be required to be a resident of the District of Columbia to
be eligible to be reappointed.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. SPECIAL RULES FOR MAGISTRATE JUDGES OF FAMILY COURT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 11, District of Columbia
Code, is amended by inserting after section 11–1732 the following
new section:
‘‘§ 11–1732A. Special rules for magistrate judges of the Family
Court of the Superior Court and the Domestic
Violence Unit
‘‘(a) USE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADVISORY MERIT SELECTION
PANEL.—The advisory selection merit panel used in the selection
of magistrate judges for the Family Court of the Superior Court
under section 11–1732(b) shall include certified social workers
specializing in child welfare matters who are residents of the Dis-
trict and who are not employees of the District of Columbia Courts.
‘‘(b) SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS.—Notwithstanding section 11–
1732(c), no individual shall be appointed or assigned as a magistrate
judge for the Family Court of the Superior Court or as a magistrate
judge for the Domestic Violence Unit handling actions or pro-
ceedings which would otherwise be under the jurisdiction of the
Family Court unless that individual—
‘‘(1) is a citizen of the United States;
‘‘(2) is an active member of the unified District of Columbia
Bar;
‘‘(3) for the 5 years immediately preceding the appointment
has been engaged in the active practice of law in the District,
has been on the faculty of a law school in the District, or
H. R. 2657—15
has been employed as a lawyer by the United States or District
government, or any combination thereof;
‘‘(4) has not fewer than 3 years of training or experience
in the practice of family law as a lawyer or judicial officer;
and
‘‘(5)(A) is a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia
and has maintained an actual place of abode in the District
for at least 90 days immediately prior to appointment, and
retains such residency during service as a magistrate judge;
or
‘‘(B) is a bona fide resident of the areas consisting of
Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland,
Arlington and Fairfax Counties, and the City of Alexandria
in Virginia, has maintained an actual place of abode in such
area, areas, or the District of Columbia for at least 5 years
prior to appointment, and certifies that the individual will
become a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia not
later than 90 days after appointment.
‘‘(c) SERVICE
OF CURRENT HEARING COMMISSIONERS.—Those
individuals serving as hearing commissioners under section 11–
1732 on the effective date of this section who meet the qualifications
described in subsection (b)(4) may request to be appointed as mag-
istrate judges for the Family Court of the Superior Court under
such section.
‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS OF FAMILY COURT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
UNIT MAGISTRATES.—A magistrate judge, when specifically des-
ignated by the chief judge in consultation with the appropriate
presiding judge to serve in the Family Court or in the Domestic
Violence Unit and subject to the rules of the Superior Court and
the right of review under section 11–1732(k), may perform the
following functions:
‘‘(1) Administer oaths and affirmations and take acknowl-
edgements.
‘‘(2) Subject to the rules of the Superior Court and
applicable Federal and District of Columbia law, conduct
hearings, make findings and enter interim and final orders
or judgments in uncontested or contested proceedings within
the jurisdiction of the Family Court and the Domestic Violence
Unit of the Superior Court (as described in section 11–1101),
excluding jury trials and trials of felony cases, as assigned
by the appropriate presiding judge.
‘‘(3) Subject to the rules of the Superior Court, enter an
order punishing an individual for contempt, except that no
individual may be detained pursuant to the authority of this
paragraph for longer than 180 days.
‘‘(e) LOCATION OF PROCEEDINGS.—To the maximum extent fea-
sible, safe, and practicable, magistrate judges of the Family Court
of the Superior Court shall conduct proceedings at locations readily
accessible to the parties involved.
‘‘(f) TRAINING.—The chief judge, in consultation with the pre-
siding judge of the Family Court of the Superior Court, shall ensure
that all magistrate judges of the Family Court receive training
to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities, including specialized
training in family law and related matters.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 11–1732(a), Dis-
trict of Columbia Code, is amended by inserting after ‘‘the duties
enumerated in subsection (j) of this section’’ the following: ‘‘(or,
H. R. 2657—16
in the case of magistrate judges for the Family Court or the
Domestic Violence Unit of the Superior Court, the duties enumer-
ated in section 11–1732A(d))’’.
(2) Section 11–1732(c), District of Columbia Code, is amended
by striking ‘‘No individual’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in
section 11–1732A(b), no individual’’.
(3) Section 11–1732(k), District of Columbia Code, is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (j),’’ and inserting the following:
‘‘subsection (j) (or proceedings and hearings under section 11–
1732A(d), in the case of magistrate judges for the Family Court
or the Domestic Violence Unit of the Superior Court),’’; and
(B) by inserting after ‘‘appropriate division’’ the following:
‘‘(or, in the case of an order or judgment of a magistrate
judge of the Family Court or the Domestic Violence Unit of
the Superior Court, by a judge of the Family Court or the
Domestic Violence Unit)’’.
(4) Section 11–1732(l), District of Columbia Code, is amended
by inserting after ‘‘responsibilities’’ the following: ‘‘(subject to the
requirements of section 11–1732A(f) in the case of magistrate judges
of the Family Court of the Superior Court or the Domestic Violence
Unit)’’.
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for subchapter
II of chapter 17 of title 11, District of Columbia, is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 11–1732 the following
new item:
‘‘11–1732A. Special rules for magistrate judges of the Family Court of the Superior
Court and the Domestic Violence Unit.’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) EXPEDITED INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the chief judge of the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia shall appoint individuals
to serve as magistrate judges for the Family Division of
the Superior Court in accordance with the requirements
of sections 11–1732 and 11–1732A, District of Columbia
Code (as added by subsection (a)), for the purpose of
assisting with the implementation of the transition plan
under section 3(b) of this Act, and in particular with the
transition or disposal of actions or proceedings pursuant
to section 3(b)(2) of this Act.
(B) 
TRANSITION
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
INITIALLY
APPOINTED FAMILY COURT MAGISTRATES.—The chief judge
of the Superior Court and the presiding judge of the Family
Division of the Superior Court (acting jointly) shall first
assign the magistrate judges of Family Court appointed
under this paragraph to work with judges to whom the
cases are currently assigned in making case disposition
or transfer decisions as follows:
(i) The action or proceeding involves an allegation
of abuse or neglect.
(ii) The judge to whom the action or proceeding
is assigned as of the date of enactment of this Act
is not assigned to the Family Division.
H. R. 2657—17
(iii) The action or proceeding was initiated in the
Family Division prior to the 2-year period which ends
on the date of enactment of this Act.
(C) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sub-
section shall be construed to preclude magistrate judges
appointed pursuant to this subsection from performing
upon appointment any or all of the functions of magistrate
judges of the Family Court or Domestic Violence Unit as
set forth in subsection 11–1732A(d).
SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING BORDER AGREEMENT WITH
MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA.
It is the sense of Congress that the State of Maryland, the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia should
promptly enter into a border agreement to facilitate the timely
and safe placement of children in the District of Columbia’s welfare
system in foster and kinship homes and other facilities in Maryland
and Virginia.
SEC. 8. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE USE OF COURT
APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES.
It is the sense of the Senate that the chief judge of the Superior
Court and the presiding judge of the Family Division should take
all steps necessary to encourage, support, and improve the use
of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in family court actions
or proceedings.
SEC. 9. INTERIM REPORTS.
Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the chief judge of the Superior Court and the presiding judge
of the Family Court—
(1) in consultation with the General Services Administra-
tion, shall submit to Congress a feasibility study for the
construction, lease, or acquisition of appropriate permanent
courts and facilities for the Family Court; and
(2) shall submit to Congress an analysis of the success
of the use of magistrate judges under the expedited appoint-
ment procedures established under section 6(d) in reducing
the number of pending actions and proceedings within the
jurisdiction of the Family Court (as described in section 11–
902(d), District of Columbia).
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Courts of the
District of Columbia and the District of Columbia such sums as
may be necessary to carry out the amendments made by this
Act.