H.R. 968: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017
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H.R. 968: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017
115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-07 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-07 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017
Plain summary
Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017 This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense. The bill authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2017
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] · 9 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr968.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>
Record fed-us-cong115-hr968 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115