Floor SpeechNeutral2025-04-28

INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES...

Crime & Justice

Context

On 2025-04-28, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-0) delivered a floor speech titled "INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT O" in the House.

Full Text

INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES...

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E341-E342] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY TO RESIDE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ______ HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON of the district of columbia in the house of representatives Monday, April 28, 2025 Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce a bill that would require the Directors of two federal agencies, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) and the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), to reside in the District of Columbia during their terms. There are residency requirements for government positions in federal law, D.C. law and the laws of jurisdictions throughout the United States. The primary reason such laws exist is to ensure that certain government officials have a connection to the residents they serve and in-depth knowledge of the unique issues and challenges these residents face. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform passed this bill in the 117th Congress. CSOSA and PSA are federal agencies that focus exclusively on D.C. CSOSA supervises individuals on probation, parole or supervised release for violations of D.C. law. PSA makes recommendations regarding pretrial release and supervises defendants for the D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for D.C. The Directors of CSOSA and PSA should be [[Page E342]] required to be D.C. residents since these agencies serve only D.C. Congress has justifiably required that certain federal officials live in the jurisdictions to which they are appointed, including U.S. district court judges, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Attorneys. Similarly, Congress, which controls the local D.C. court system, has justifiably required local D.C. judges and members of the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission and the D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure to reside in D.C. There is no reason that the Directors of CSOSA and PSA should not be required to live in D.C. These federal officials need to be part of the community they serve. A D.C. residency requirement for these federal officials will lead to better outcomes in the criminal justice system and is a matter of fairness for D.C. residents. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. ____________________

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INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES... Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E341-E342] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY TO RESIDE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ______ HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON of the district of columbia in the house of representatives Monday, April 28, 2025 Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce a bill that would require the Directors of two federal agencies, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) and the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), to reside in the District of Columbia during their terms. There are residency requirements for government positions in federal law, D.C. law and the laws of jurisdictions throughout the United States. The primary reason such laws exist is to ensure that certain government officials have a connection to the residents they serve and in-depth knowledge of the unique issues and challenges these residents face. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform passed this bill in the 117th Congress. CSOSA and PSA are federal agencies that focus exclusively on D.C. CSOSA supervises individuals on probation, parole or supervised release for violations of D.C. law. PSA makes recommendations regarding pretrial release and supervises defendants for the D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for D.C. The Directors of CSOSA and PSA should be [[Page E342]] required to be D.C. residents since these agencies serve only D.C. Congress has justifiably required that certain federal officials live in the jurisdictions to which they are appointed, including U.S. district court judges, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Attorneys. Similarly, Congress, which controls the local D.C. court system, has justifiably required local D.C. judges and members of the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission and the D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure to reside in D.C. There is no reason that the Directors of CSOSA and PSA should not be required to live in D.C. These federal officials need to be part of the community they serve. A D.C. residency requirement for these federal officials will lead to better outcomes in the criminal justice system and is a matter of fairness for D.C. residents. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. ____________________