H. R. 2657
One Hundred Seventh Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and one
An Act
To amend title 11, District of Columbia Code, to redesignate the Family Division
of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as the Family Court of the
Superior Court, to recruit and retain trained and experienced judges to serve
in the Family Court, to promote consistency and efficiency in the assignment
of judges to the Family Court and in the consideration of actions and proceedings
in the Family Court, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia Family
Court Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION OF FAMILY DIVISION AS FAMILY COURT OF
THE SUPERIOR COURT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 11–902, District of Columbia Code,
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 11–902. Organization of the court
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Superior Court shall consist of the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(1) The Civil Division.
‘‘(2) The Criminal Division.
‘‘(3) The Family Court.
‘‘(4) The Probate Division.
‘‘(5) The Tax Division.
‘‘(b) BRANCHES.—The divisions of the Superior Court may be
divided into such branches as the Superior Court may by rule
prescribe.
‘‘(c) DESIGNATION OF PRESIDING JUDGE OF FAMILY COURT.—
The chief judge of the Superior Court shall designate one of the
judges assigned to the Family Court of the Superior Court to
serve as the presiding judge of the Family Court of the Superior
Court.
‘‘(d) JURISDICTION DESCRIBED.—The Family Court shall have
original jurisdiction over the actions, applications, determinations,
adjudications, and proceedings described in section 11–1101.
Actions, applications, determinations, adjudications, and pro-
ceedings being assigned to cross-jurisdictional units established by
the Superior Court, including the Domestic Violence Unit, on the
date of enactment of this section may continue to be so assigned
after the date of enactment of this section.’’.
H. R. 2657—2
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT
TO CHAPTER 9.—Section 11–
906(b), District of Columbia Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘the
Family Court and’’ before ‘‘the various divisions’’.
(c) CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS
TO
CHAPTER
11.—(1) The
heading for chapter 11 of title 11, District of Columbia, is amended
by striking ‘‘FAMILY DIVISION’’ and inserting ‘‘FAMILY COURT’’.
(2) The item relating to chapter 11 in the table of chapters
for title 11, District of Columbia, is amended by striking ‘‘FAMILY
DIVISION’’ and inserting ‘‘FAMILY COURT’’.
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 16.—
(1) 
CALCULATION
OF
CHILD
SUPPORT.—Section 
16–
916.1(o)(6), District of Columbia Code, is amended by striking
‘‘Family Division’’ and inserting ‘‘Family Court of the Superior
Court’’.
(2) EXPEDITED
JUDICIAL
HEARING
OF
CASES
BROUGHT
BEFORE HEARING COMMISSIONERS.—Section 16–924, District of
Columbia Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Family Division’’ each
place it appears in subsections (a) and (f) and inserting ‘‘Family
Court’’.
(3) GENERAL REFERENCES TO PROCEEDINGS.—Chapter 23
of title 16, District of Columbia Code, is amended by inserting
after section 16–2301 the following new section:
‘‘§ 16–2301.1. References deemed to refer to Family Court
of the Superior Court
‘‘Any reference in this chapter or any other Federal or District
of Columbia law, Executive order, rule, regulation, delegation of
authority, or any document of or pertaining to the Family Division
of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia shall be deemed
to refer to the Family Court of the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia.’’.
(4) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for sub-
chapter I of chapter 23 of title 16, District of Columbia, is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 16–
2301 the following new item:
‘‘16–2301.1. References deemed to refer to Family Court of the Superior Court.’’.
SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES; NUMBER AND
QUALIFICATIONS.
(a) NUMBER OF JUDGES FOR FAMILY COURT; QUALIFICATIONS
AND TERMS OF SERVICE.—Chapter 9 of title 11, District of Columbia
Code, is amended by inserting after section 11–908 the following
new section:
‘‘§ 11–908A. Special rules regarding assignment and service
of judges of Family Court
‘‘(a) NUMBER OF JUDGES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The number of judges serving on the
Family Court of the Superior Court shall be not more than
15.
‘‘(2) EMERGENCY REASSIGNMENT.—If the chief judge deter-
mines that, in order to carry out the intent and purposes
of the District of Columbia Family Court Act of 2001, an emer-
gency exists such that the number of judges needed on the
Family Court of the Superior Court at any time is more than
15—
H. R. 2657—3
‘‘(A) the chief judge may temporarily reassign judges
from other divisions of the Superior Court to serve on
the Family Court who meet the requirements of paragraphs
(1) and (3) of subsection (b) or senior judges who meet
the requirements of those paragraphs, except such
reassigned judges shall not be subject to the term of service
requirements set forth in subsection (c); and
‘‘(B) the chief judge shall, within 30 days of emergency
temporary reassignment pursuant to subparagraph (A),
submit a report to the President and Congress describing—
‘‘(i) the nature of the emergency;
‘‘(ii) how the emergency was addressed, including
which judges were reassigned; and
‘‘(iii) whether and why an increase in the number
of Family Court judges authorized in subsection (a)(1)
may be necessary to serve the needs of families and
children in the District of Columbia.
‘‘(3) COMPOSITION.—The total number of judges on the
Superior Court may exceed the limit on such judges specified
in section 11–903 to the extent necessary to maintain the
requirements of this subsection if—
‘‘(A) the number of judges serving on the Family Court
is less than 15; and
‘‘(B) the Chief Judge of the Superior Court—
‘‘(i) is unable to secure a volunteer judge who
is sitting on the Superior Court outside of the Family
Court for reassignment to the Family Court;
‘‘(ii) obtains approval of the Joint Committee on
Judicial Administration; and
‘‘(iii) reports to Congress regarding the cir-
cumstances that gave rise to the necessity to exceed
the cap.
‘‘(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The chief judge may not assign an indi-
vidual to serve on the Family Court of the Superior Court or
handle a Family Court case unless—
‘‘(1) the individual has training or expertise in family law;
‘‘(2) the individual certifies to the chief judge that the
individual intends to serve the full term of service, except
that this paragraph shall not apply with respect to individuals
serving as senior judges under section 11–1504, individuals
serving as temporary judges under section 11–908, and any
other judge serving in another division of the Superior Court
who is reassigned on an emergency temporary basis pursuant
to subsection (a)(2);
‘‘(3) the individual certifies to the chief judge that the
individual will participate in the ongoing training programs
carried out for judges of the Family Court under section 11–
1104(c); and
‘‘(4) the individual meets the requirements of section 11–
1501(b).
‘‘(c) TERM OF SERVICE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2),
an individual assigned to serve as a judge of the Family Court
of the Superior Court shall serve for a term of 5 years.
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR JUDGES SERVING ON SUPERIOR COURT
ON DATE OF ENACTMENT OF FAMILY COURT ACT OF 2001.—