Office for Access to Justice Establishment Act of 2021
Bill: S.2701 | Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher (D-CT)
Policy area: Law

Summary:
Office for Access to Justice Establishment Act of 2021
This bill establishes the Office for Access to Justice within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to advise on matters relating to justice for low-income and other underrepresented people in the criminal and civil justice systems. Additionally, DOJ must establish a Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable to raise the awareness of executive branch agencies of the ways in which civil legal aid and indigent defense can help advance federal objectives, including those related to employment, family stability, housing, consumer protection, health services, and public safety.

To provide for the establishment of the Office for Access to Justice in 
           the Department of Justice, 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 ``Office for Access to Justice 
Establishment Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Justice.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office.
            (3) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office for 
        Access to Justice established under section 3.

SEC. 3. OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the Department the 
Office for Access to Justice, which shall be headed by a Director, who 
shall be appointed by the Attorney General.
    (b) Personnel and Funds.--The Attorney General shall provide to the 
Office such personnel and funds as are necessary to establish and 
operate the Office as a component of the Department.

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

    The Director shall--
            (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney 
        General to ensure access to justice for low-income and other 
        underrepresented people in the criminal and civil justice 
        systems;
            (2) serve as the principal legal advisor for the Department 
        on the constitutional right to counsel and the other rights 
        guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the 
        United States;
            (3) serve as the Executive Director of the Legal Aid 
        Interagency Roundtable in accordance with section 6;
            (4) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the 
        Department and indigent defense and civil legal aid 
        organizations, including Federal public defender organizations, 
        and conduct, along with the Office of the Attorney General, the 
        Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and the Office of the 
        Associate Attorney General, semi-annual meetings with 
        representatives of these organizations to receive input and 
        recommendations on how to improve access to justice and 
        fulfillment of the right to counsel;
            (5) coordinate with other components and divisions within 
        the Department to ensure each is considering access to justice 
        and right to counsel in policy, enforcement, and funding 
        decisions;
            (6) consult with Department grantmaking components to 
        ensure funding decisions take into account access to justice; 
        and
            (7) consult with the Secretary of State and serve as the 
        central authority of the executive branch on access to justice 
        before international and multilateral organizations.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION AGAINST PARTICIPATION IN SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS.

    The Office may not advise or participate in civil or criminal 
settlement negotiations involving or on behalf of the Department.

SEC. 6. LEGAL AID INTERAGENCY ROUNDTABLE.

    (a) Purpose; Composition.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a 
        Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, which shall be headed by an 
        Executive Director, to raise the awareness of executive branch 
        agencies of the ways in which civil legal aid and indigent 
        defense can help advance a wide range of Federal objectives, 
        including employment, family stability, housing, consumer 
        protection, health services, and public safety.
            (2) Composition.--The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable as 
        established under paragraph (1) shall be composed of 
        representatives of executive branch department offices 
        identified by the Executive Director of the Legal Aid 
        Roundtable with the consent of the Attorney General.
            (3) Requirement.--The Executive Director of the Legal Aid 
        Interagency Roundtable shall convene the Legal Aid Interagency 
        Roundtable not less frequently than semi-annually.
    (b) Duties.--The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable shall--
            (1) improve coordination among Federal programs that help 
        the vulnerable and underserved so that such programs are more 
        efficient and produce better outcomes by including, where 
        appropriate, legal services among the range of supportive 
        services provided;
            (2) develop a list of federally funded programs and 
        resources that incorporate or may incorporate civil legal aid 
        and indigent defense;
            (3) develop policy recommendations that improve access to 
        justice in Federal, State, local, and Tribal jurisdictions;
            (4) facilitate non-governmental partnerships to promote 
        access to civil legal aid and indigent defense and further law 
        enforcement and civil rights objectives;
            (5) advance evidence-based research, data collection, and 
        analysis on civil legal aid and indigent defense, including the 
        potential of technology innovations and non-traditional legal 
        professionals to improve access to justice;
            (6) promote the provision of civil legal aid to 
        servicemembers, servicemember families, and veterans; and
            (7) report on the activities of the Legal Aid Interagency 
        Roundtable to the President on an annual basis, including 
        policy recommendations to improve access to civil and criminal 
        justice in the United States.
    (c) Appointment of Representatives.--The head of each executive 
branch department and each participating executive agency and office 
shall designate a senior Federal official who shall serve as their 
representative on the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable.
                                 <all>