Protecting Access to Justice for Survivors Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8133
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
Introduced: 2020-08-28
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Criminal justice information and records

Criminal procedure and sentencing

Judicial review and appeals

Lawyers and legal services
Latest action: action_date: 2020-08-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-08-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Protecting Access to Justice for Survivors Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes a recipient of certain Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to use grant funds for legal representation in post-conviction relief proceedings. DOJ may not prohibit a recipient from using the grant for this purpose.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8133 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 28, 2020 Ms. Scanlon (for herself and Mrs. Wagner ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To provide that, in the case of any grant made by the Attorney General, no restriction may be placed on the use of grant amounts for purposes of representation in post-conviction relief proceedings, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Access to Justice for Survivors Act of 2020 . 2. Use of legal aid services Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of Justice Programs or the Office on Violence Against Women, in awarding a grant that may be used for legal representation, may not prohibit a recipient from using the grant for legal representation for post-conviction relief proceedings, including any proceedings relating to vacatur, expungement, record-stealing, or other post-conviction relief measure. 3. Annual reporting requirement Beginning in the first fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys shall submit a report to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate detailing— (1) the number of motions, that were filed in Federal court— (A) to vacate; (B) for expungement; or (C) setting forth mitigating factors; and that, but for the application of section 2, would not otherwise have been filed; (2) the underlying crime of each action; (3) the response of the Executive Office; and (4) the final disposition of the motion.