End of Debtors Prison Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-1724
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Introduced: 2017-03-24
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing

Debt collection

Government information and archives

Law enforcement administration and funding

Public contracts and procurement

State and local government operations

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-03-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>End of Debtors Prison Act of 2017</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to prohibit the Department of Justice from allocating Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program funding to a state or local government that has a contract with a person (e.g., a private probation company) who: (1) collects unpaid debt (i.e., state- or court-imposed fines or fees) from an individual placed on probation for failing to pay such debt; and (2) charges separate fees (e.g., monthly fees) to the probationer with respect to the collection. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1724 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 24, 2017 Mr. Takano (for himself, Mr. Ellison , Mr. McGovern , Ms. Schakowsky , Ms. Moore , Ms. Norton , Mr. Cohen , Mr. Grijalva , and Mr. Nadler ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title V of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to prohibit Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants from being made available to a State or unit of local government that has a contract with a person that charges a fee to pay-only probationers, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the End of Debtors Prison Act of 2017 . 2. Contracts with probation companies (a) Limitation on Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (1) In general Section 501 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 3750 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (h) Prohibited recipients of funds (1) In general No Federal funds may be made available under this subpart, including through subawards, to any State or unit of local government that has a contract with a person who— (A) under such contract, collects fees and fines imposed by a State or local court on a pay-only probationer; and (B) collects from such probationer a fee that is imposed with respect to such collection. (2) Pay-only probationer defined The term pay-only probationer means an individual who is placed on probation due to the failure of the individual to pay any part of a fine or fee imposed by a State or local court. . (2) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to grants made in or after the fiscal year which begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Reporting requirement (1) In general Section 522(a) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 3766b(a) ) is amended— (A) in paragraph (4), by striking and at the end; (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: (5) for the State and each unit of local government in the State for such year, a list of the persons with which such State or unit of local government had a contract under which the person assisted in administering a probation ordered by a State or local court during such year and, for each such person— (A) the amount payable by the State or unit of local government to such person for such assistance during such year; and (B) whether the person collected a fee from a pay-only probationer (as such term is defined in section 501(h)(2)) with respect to such assistance; and . (2) Effective date The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to reports submitted for years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.