Chairman Nadler Applauds House Passage of 10 Judiciary Bills

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on Sept. 22:

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Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed 10 bills advanced out of the Judiciary Committee:

"I am extremely proud of the bipartisan legislation shepherded by the Judiciary Committee and passed by the House of Representatives.

"The legislation passed would ensure a more fair criminal justice system, protect our American Indian communities, and explicitly prohibit race-based hair discrimination, addressing significant issues Americans across the nation are facing.

"I want to thank all of the Members of Congress who worked on these bills, and I look forward to continue working together to get these bill signed into law."

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The House of Representatives passed the following bills:

H.R. 5053, the Justice for Juveniles Act

The Justice for Juveniles Act, introduced by Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), and John Katko (R-NY), would eliminate the administrative exhaustion requirement for youth before they may file a lawsuit under the Prison Litigation Reform Act alleging violations concerning the conditions of their incarceration. The administrative requirement, as applied to youth, is inconsistent with today's scientific understanding of the cognitive development of young people.

H.R. 1418, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2019

The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, introduced by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR),repeals an exemption that allows the health insurance industry to operate beyond the reach of federal antitrust laws.

H.R. 5546, the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act

The Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, introduced by Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Doug Collins (R-GA), requires the Bureau of Prisons to establish a system to exempt from monitoring any privileged electronic communications between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys or legal representatives.

S. 227, Savanna's Act

Savanna's Act, introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) with similar legislation introduced by Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA), requires both data collection concerning instances of missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, and the development of recommendations on how to improve such collection, to be included in an annual report to Congress. The bill also enhances sharing of information among federal, state, and tribal officials; and establishes best practices for these agencies to follow in conducting searches on and off land under the jurisdiction of Native Americans.

S. 982, the Not Invisible Act of 2019

The Not Invisible Act, introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) with similar legislation introduced by Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM), addresses the crisis of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native men and women by directing the appointment, within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, of a coordinator of federal efforts to combat violence against Native people. The bill also establishes a Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice.

S. 1321, the Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act

The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) with similar legislation introduced by Representatives John Ratcliffe (R-TX) and Jim Himes (D-CT), broadens the definition of "protected computer" for purposes of computer fraud and abuse offenses under current law to include a computer that is part of a voting system.

S. 1380, the Due Process Protections Act

The Due Process Protections Act, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), reinforces the constitutional right of defendants to access favorable and relevant evidence obtained by prosecutors by amending the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to require that a judge issue an order to prosecution and defense counsel that confirms the disclosure obligation of the prosecutor in every criminal case.

H.R. 5602, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, introduced by Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL), authorizes the creation of offices, within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to monitor, investigate and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism and provide reports to Congress assessing the state of domestic terrorism threats.

H.R. 6100, the Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act or STOP FGM Act of 2020

The STOP FGM Act, introduced by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), clarifies current law to ensure that the practice of female genital mutilation of minors is prohibited under federal law.

H.R. 5309, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2019 or the CROWN Act of 2019

The CROWN Act, introduced by Representative Cedric Richmond (D-LA), explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin in employment, housing, federally-funded programs, public accommodations, and the making and enforcement of contracts. California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, and Maryland have enacted state versions of the CROWN Act.