September 2018 Washington Letter

Military & Veterans

New law adds more VJO Specialists

President Trump signed legislation Sept. 17 that requires the secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire at least 50 additional Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialists to work as part of justice teams in Veterans Treatment Courts.

Access to Justice

ABA supports confirmation of six LSC Board nominees

ABA President Robert M. Carlson and Theodore A. Howard, the chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants (SCLAID), supported confirmation this month of six individuals who have been nominated by President Trump to serve on the Board of Directors for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

ABA providing legal assistance in wake of Hurricane Florence

The ABA, through its Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services Program, is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide legal assistance to those who were in the path of Hurricane Florence.

Courts & Judiciary

House Judiciary Committee approves courts bills despite concerns

The House Judiciary Committee approved three of four bills Sept. 13 that ABA President Robert M. Carlson warned include substantive provisions that will “profoundly affect litigants who seek civil redress through our federal and state court systems.”

Federal Government

Legislation would fund government through Dec. 7

A fiscal year 2019 conference report providing full-year funding for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education − which was signed President Trump on Sept. 28 − also includes a continuing resolution to ensure that the entire federal government will be funded through Dec. 7.

Children

Adoption and Foster Care Reporting

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a decision in August that will allow a final rule to go into effect without major changes on October 1, 2020, for data collection through the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS).

Copyright

Copyright Registration

The ABA filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Sept. 4 in the Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corp v. Wall Street.com and Jerrold D. Burden copyright law case, arguing that copyright owners are entitled to seek recourse against infringers in court after sending in their copyright applications to the Copyright Office and do not have to wait until the Copyright Office acts upon that application.

Disability

Marrakesh Treaty

The House passed legislation Sept. 25 to implement the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works to Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.