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Criminal Justice System Improvements

Letters & Testimony

The ABA frequently corresponds with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and other governmental bodies and testifies before Congress on matters of importance to the administration of justice and the legal profession.

118th Congress

10/11/2023
The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
ABA Letter on Gun Violence Prevention in the U.S.

07/24/2023
Missouri Governor Michael Parson
ABA Letter Regarding the Scheduled Execution of Johnny Johnson in Missouri

07/19/2023
Representative Jasmine Crockett
ABA Letter in Support of the Democracy Restoration Act

05/22/2023
Missouri Governor Michael Parson
ABA Letter Urging the Governor of Missouri to Commute the Sentence of Michael Tisius

05/17/2023
Senator Ben Cardin
ABA Supports the Reintroduction of the Democracy Restoration Act

03/10/2023
United States Sentencing Commission
ABA Submits Comments to United States Sentencing Commission on Proposed Amendments to Sentencing Guidelines

117th Congress

12/12/2022
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair and Ranking Member
ABA Urges Swift Passage of the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act

10/8/2021
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
ABA Letter in Support of Criminal Justice Reform Legislation, H.R. 546, H.R. 1693/S. 79, and S. 998

8/20/2021
FATF Secretariat
ABA Urges FATF Not to Amend Existing International Anti-Money Laundering Standards to Require Lawyers to Disclose Confidential Client Information to Government Authorities

8/3/2021
U.S. Government Accountability Office
ABA Provides U.S. Government Accountability Office with Information on the Association's Efforts to Fight Money Laundering

8/2/2021
Mississippi Governor Michael Parson 
ABA Letter Regarding the Scheduled Execution of Ernest Johnson

3/29/2021
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Proposals Aimed at Curbing Gun Violence

1/8/2021
President-Elect Biden
ABA Urges President-elect Biden to Support Recommendations for Improving Our Legal System

116th Congress

4/7/20
House Judiciary Committee 
ABA Letter Supporting H.R. 6414, the COVID–19 Correctional Facility Emergency Response Act of 20204/6/20

Capital Defense Counsel 
ABA Death Representation Project Habeas and Trial Declartions During COVID-19

1/7/20
House
ABA Support for Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era

10/22/2019
House 
ABA Opposes Anti-Money Laundering Legislation That Undermines Client Confidentiality in Real Estate Transactions, Imposes Burdensome Regulations on Small Businesses

9/23/19
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
ABA Letter in Opposition to Proposed  Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

5/29/19
Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means
ABA Letter in Support of HB 2614 

5/8/19
Illinois House of Representatives Member Jehan Gordan-Booth
ABA Letter Regarding Illinois Bill to Reform Code of Criminal Procedure

5/1/19
National Bureau of Background Investigations, Office of Personnel Management
ABA Opposition to Proposed Amendments to Optional Form 306

4/1/19
Senator Brian Schatz
ABA Letter in Support of the Restoring Education and Learning ("REAL") Act

2/8/19
Maryland Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter on Pre-Trial Victim Notification

2/8/19
Maryland House Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter on Pre-Trial Victim Notification

1/7/19
Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice
ABA Comment Letter on Arizona Capital Counsel Mechanism

115th Congress

12/27/18
House
ABA Letter in Support for National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2018

12/12/18
House
ABA Letter in Support of the First Step Act

12/12/18
Senate
ABA Letter in Support of the First Step Act

12/11/18
House and Senate Leadership
ABA Letter in Support of JJDPA Reauthorization

11/16/18
Senators Portman and Leahy
ABA Letter in Support of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018

9/12/18
House Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support for H.R. 2899 - Second Chance Reauthorization Act

8/7/18
USSC
ABA Comments Regarding United States Sentencing Commission Priorities

6/4/18
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and Office for Victims of Crime
ABA Letter on FY2018 TVPA Human Trafficking Funding Restriction

3/7/18
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter Supporting Legislative Steps to Reduce Gun Violence

2/28/18
Maryland Senate
ABA Letter in Support of Maryland Senate Bill 766

2/28/18
Maryland House
ABA Letter in Support of Maryland House Bill 1520

1/9/18
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support of S. 1917, the Sentencing and Corrections Reform Act of 2017

10/25/17
Governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson
ABA Letter in Support of Clemency Consideration for Jack Greene

10/25/17
House Judiciary Committee, House Financial Services Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee
ABA Letter in Support of H.R. 1795, the DUE PROCESS Act of 2017

10/18/17
House Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support of H.R. 2899, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2017

9/5/17
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support of S. 860, the "Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2017"

9/5/17
House Education and the Workforce Committee
ABA Letter in Support of H.R. 1809, the "Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017"

8/25/17
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support of S. 1593, "Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017"

8/25/17
House Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter in Support of H.R. 1437, "No Money Bail Act of 2017

6/28/17
Governor of Virginia, Terence McAuliffe
ABA Letter Expressing Concerns Regarding the Case of Virginia Death-Row Inmate William Morva

4/11/17
Governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson
ABA President Expresses Concern about Arkansas Execution Schedule

3/22/17
Maryland Senate
ABA Supports the Maryland Fair Access to Education Act of 2017

3/22/17
Maryland House
ABA Supports the Maryland Fair Access to Education Act of 2017

2/24/17
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
ABA Urges Governor Cuomo to Support Independent Oversight of New York's Public Defense System

2/13/17
South Dakota Legislature
ABA testifies on death penalty for defendants with mental illness

1/30/17
Virginia House of Delegates
ABA testifies on death penalty for defendants with mental illness

1/26/17
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
ABA Applauds Legislative Efforts to Support Indigent Defense

114th Congress

10/5/16
Senate and House
ABA Expresses Support for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act

7/6/16
Senate
ABA Urges Senate Leaders to Oppose the Stop Illegal Reentry Act

2/18/16
Ad Hoc Committee to Review the Criminal Justice Act
ABA Testifies on Death Penalty Representation under the Criminal Justice Act

1/20/16
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Testifies on Criminal Intent Standards Before Senate Judiciary Committee

1/11/16
House Judiciary Committee
ABA Urges Support for H.R. 3406, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act

11/17/15
House Judiciary Committee
ABA Urges House Judiciary Committee to Approve Sentencing Reform Legislation

11/9/15
U.S. Senate
ABA Urges Support for Federal Sentencing Legislation (S. 2123)

10/22/15
Federal Communications Commission
ABA Files Comments in Support of FCC Proposal to Regulate Non-Competitive Rates for Inmate Calling Services

10/19/15
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Approve S. 2123, the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act

10/6/15
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
ABA Urges Support for S. 2021, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act 

8/26/15
NY State Office of Indigent Legal Services
ABA Statement on Development of Eligibility Standards for Assignment of Counsel in New York

7/30/15
House and Senate Judiciary Committees 
ABA Opposes Proposed Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Illegal Reentry in S. 1762/H.R. 3011 and S. 1812

7/22/15
United States Sentencing Commission 
ABA Comments Regarding United States Sentencing Commission’s Proposed Priorities for the Coming Amendment Cycle

7/20/15
Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter Supporting the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015

6/4/15
Senators Rob Portman and Patrick Leahy and Representatives James Sensenbrenner and Danny Davis
ABA Letter Commending Introduction of Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2015

5/12/15
Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter Commending Senate Judiciary Committee for Action on Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel

3/30/15
Chair and Vice-Chair of TX Senate Committee on Criminal Justice and House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
ABA Letter in Support of Texas Senate Bill 1071 and House Bill 2110

3/16/15
Colorado House Judiciary Committee
ABA Letter Opposing Legislation that Prevents Defense Teams from Meeting their Duties Under the Sixth Amendment and ABA Standards

3/12/15
United States Sentencing Commission 
ABA Testimony on Proposed Amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines

3/9/15
Chair and Vice-Chair, Committee on Criminal Justice, Florida Senate; Chair and Ranking Member, Criminal Justice Subcommittee, Florida House of Representatives
ABA Comments Regarding the Importance of Jury Unanimity in Death Penalty Sentencing

1/26/15
NYC Council Committee on Public Safety & Committee on Courts and Legal Services
ABA President-Elect Paulette Brown's Testimony on Indigent Defense

1/26/15
The Honorable Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
ABA Files Comments Urging FCC to Regulate Non-Competitive Inmate Calling Services