,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dahe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #aj1 #bjad    
,ms4 ,norton introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to revise certain 
authorities of the ,district of         
,columbia courts1 the ,court ,services  
and ,offender ,supervision ,agency for  
the ,district of ,columbia1 and the     
,public ,defender ,service for the      
,district of ,columbia1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,district of        
,columbia ,courts1 ,public ,defender    
,service1 and ,court ,services and      
,offender ,supervision ,agency ,act of  
#bjad4  #b4 ,authorities of ,district of
 ,columbia ,courts  7a7 ,authorization  
,to ,collect ,debts and ,erroneous      
,payments ,from ,employees  7#a7 ,in    
general ,chapter #ag of title #aa1      
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended by adding at the end of      

subchapter ,,ii the following new       
section3  #aa-agcc4 ,collection1        
compromise1 and waiver of employee debts
 and erroneous payments  7a7 ,collection
 of ,debts and ,erroneous ,payments     
,made to ,employees  7#a7 ,authority to 
collect ,if the ,executive ,officer     
determines that an employee or former   
employee of the ,district of ,columbia  
,courts is indebted to the ,district of 
,columbia ,courts because of an         
erroneous payment made to or on behalf  
of the employee1 or any other debt1 the 
,executive ,officer may collect the     
amount of the indebtedness in accordance
 with this subsection4  7#b7 ,timing of 
collection ,any debt authorized to be   
collected under this subsection may be  
collected in monthly installments or at 
officially established regular pay      
period intervals1 by deduction in       
reasonable amounts from the current pay 
of the employee4  7#c7 ,source of       
deductions ,deductions described in     
paragraph 7#b7 may be made from any     

wages1 salary1 compensation1            
remuneration for services1 or other     
authorized pay1 including but not       
limited to incentive pay1 back pay1 and 
lump sum leave payments1 but not        
including retirement pay4  7#d7 ,limit  
on amount ,the amount deducted with     
respect to an employee for any period   
may not exceed #bj percent of the       
employee's disposable pay1 except that a
 greater percentage may be deducted upon
 consent of the employee involved4  7#e7
 ,collections after employment ,if an   
employee's employment ends before       
collection of the amount of the         
employee's indebtedness is completed1   
deductions may be made from later       
non-periodic government payments of any 
nature due the former employee1 except  
retirement pay1 and such deductions may 
be made without regard to the limit     
under paragraph 7#d74  7b7 ,notice and  
,hearing ,required  7#a7 ,in general    
,except as provided in paragraph 7#c71  
prior to initiating any proceedings     

under subsection 7a7 to collect any     
indebtedness of an individual1 the      
,executive ,officer shall provide the   
individual with--  7,a7 a minimum of #cj
 days written notice1 informing such    
individual of the nature and amount of  
the indebtedness determined by the      
,district of ,columbia ,courts to be    
due1 the intention of the ,courts to    
initiate proceedings to collect the debt
 through deductions from pay1 and an    
explanation of the rights of the        
individual under this section2  7,b7 an 
opportunity to inspect and copy ,court  
records relating to the debt2  7,c7 an  
opportunity to enter into a written     
agreement with the ,courts1 under terms 
agreeable to the ,executive ,officer1 to
 establish a schedule for the repayment 
of the debt2 and  7,d7 an opportunity   
for a hearing in accordance with        
paragraph 7#b7 on the determination of  
the ,courts concerning the existence or 
the amount of the debt1 and in the case 
of an individual whose repayment        

schedule is established other than by a 
written agreement pursuant to           
subparagraph 7,c71 concerning the terms 
of the repayment schedule4  7#b7        
,procedures for hearings  7,a7          
,availability of hearing upon request ,a
 hearing under this paragraph shall be  
provided if the individual1 on or before
 the fifteenth day following receipt of 
the notice described in paragraph       
7#a77;,a71 and in accordance with such  
procedures as the ,executive ,officer   
may prescribe1 files a petition         
requesting such a hearing4  7,b7 ,basis 
for hearing ,unless the hearing officer 
determines that the existence or the    
amount of the debt turns on an issue of 
credibility or veracity or cannot be    
resolved by a review of the documentary 
evidence1 the hearing shall be on the   
written submissions4  7,c7 ,stay of     
collection proceedings ,the timely      
filing of a petition for hearing shall  
stay the commencement of collection     
proceedings4  7,d7 ,independent officer 

,a hearing under this paragraph shall be
 conducted by an independent hearing    
officer appointed in accordance with    
regulations promulgated under subsection
 7e74  7,e7 ,deadline for decision ,the 
hearing officer shall issue a final     
decision regarding the questions covered
 by the hearing at the earliest         
practicable date1 but not later than #fj
 days after the hearing4  7#c7          
,exception ,paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7    
shall not apply to routine intra-,courts
 adjustments of pay that are            
attributable to clerical or             
administrative errors or delays in      
processing pay documents that have      
occurred within the #d pay periods      
preceding the adjustment and to any     
adjustment that amounts to #ej or less1 
if at the time of such adjustment1 or as
 soon thereafter as practical1 the      
individual is provided written notice of
 the nature and the amount of the       
adjustment and a point of contact for   
contesting such adjustment4  7c7        

,compromise  7#a7 ,authority to         
compromise claims ,the ,executive       
,officer may--  7,a7 compromise a claim 
to collect an indebtedness under this   
section if the amount involved is not   
more than #ajj1jjj2 and  7,b7 suspend or
 end collection action on such a claim  
if it appears that no person liable on  
the claim has the present or prospective
 ability to pay a significant amount of 
the claim or if the cost of collecting  
the claim is likely to be more than the 
amount recovered4  7#b7 ,effect of      
compromise ,a compromise under this     
subsection is final and conclusive      
unless gotten by fraud1                 
misrepresentation1 presenting a false   
claim1 or mutual mistake of fact4  7#c7 
,no liability of official responsible   
for compromise ,an accountable official 
is not liable for an amount paid or for 
the value of property lost or damaged if
 the amount or value is not recovered   
because of a compromise under this      
subsection4  7d7 ,waiver of ,claim  7#a7

 ,authority to waive claims ,upon       
application from a person liable on a   
claim to collect an indebtedness under  
this section1 the ,executive ,officer   
may1 with written justification1 waive  
the claim if collection would be--  7,a7
 against equity2  7,b7 against good     
conscience2 and  7,c7 not in the best   
interests of the ,courts4  7#b7         
,limitations on authority ,the          
,executive ,officer may not exercise the
 authority under this subsection to     
waive a claim if--  7,a7 in the         
,executive ,officer's opinion1 there    
exists1 in connection with the claim1 an
 indication of fraud1 misrepresentation1
 fault1 or lack of good faith on the    
part of the employee1 former employee1  
or any other person having an interest  
in obtaining a waiver of the claim2 or  
7,b7 the application for waiver is      
received in the ,executive ,officer's   
office after the expiration of #c years 
immediately following the date on which 
the erroneous payment was discovered or 

#c years after the date of the enactment
 of this section1 whichever is later1   
except if the claim involves money owed 
for ,federal health benefits1 ,federal  
life insurance1 or ,federal retirement  
benefits4  7#c7 ,denial of application  
for waiver ,a decision by the ,executive
 ,officer to deny an application for a  
waiver under this subsection shall be   
the final administrative decision of the
 ,district government4  7#d7 ,refund of 
amounts already collected against claim 
subsequently waived ,if the ,courts have
 been reimbursed for a claim under this 
section in whole or in part1 and a      
waiver of the claim is then granted1 the
 employee or former employee shall be   
entitled to a refund of the amount of   
the reimbursement upon application for  
that refund1 so long as the application 
is received not later than #b years     
after the effective date of the waiver4 
7#e7 ,effect on accounts of ,courts ,in 
the audit and settlement of accounts of 
any accountable official1 full credit   

shall be given for any amounts with     
respect to which collection by the      
,courts is waived under this subsection4
  7#f7 ,validity of payments ,an        
erroneous payment or debt1 the          
collection of which is waived under this
 subsection1 is a valid payment for all 
purposes4  7#g7 ,no effect on other     
authorities ,nothing contained in this  
subsection shall be construed to affect 
in any way the authority under any other
 statute to litigate1 settle1           
compromise1 or waive any claim of the   
,district of ,columbia4  7e7            
,regulations ,the ,executive ,officer's 
authority under this section shall be   
subject to regulations promulgated by   
the ,joint ,committee on ,judicial      
,administration4  4  7#b7 ,clerical     
amendment ,the table of contents of     
chapter #ag of title #aa1 ,district of  
,columbia ,official ,code1 is amended by
 adding at the end of the items relating
 to subchapter ,,ii the following new   
item3  #aa-agcc4 ,collection1           

compromise1 and waiver of employee debts
 and erroneous payments4  4  7#c7       
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this subsection shall apply with respect
 to erroneous payments made and debts   
incurred before1 on1 or after the date  
of the enactment of this ,act4  7b7     
,authorization ,to ,purchase ,uniforms  
for ,personnel ,section #aa-agdb7;b71   
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new sentence3 ,under the      
authority of the previous sentence1 the 
,executive ,officer may purchase        
uniforms to be worn by nonjudicial      
employees of the ,district of ,columbia 
,courts whose responsibilities warrant  
the wearing of uniforms1 so long as the 
cost of furnishing a uniform to an      
employee during a year does not exceed  
the amount applicable for the year under
 section #eija7;a77#a7 of title #e1     
,united ,states ,code 7relating to the  
uniform allowance for employees of the  
,government of the ,united ,states744   

#c4 ,authorities of ,court ,services and
 ,offender ,supervision ,agency  7a7    
,authority ,to ,develop and ,operate    
,incentive ,programs for ,sentenced     
,offenders ,section #aabcc7;b77#b77;,f7 
of the ,national ,capital               
,revitalization and ,self-,government   
,improvement ,act of #aiig 7sec4        
#bd-acc7;b77#b77;,f71 ,d4,c4 ,official  
,code7 is amended by striking sanctions 
and inserting sanction and incentive4   
7b7 ,permanent ,authority ,to ,accept   
,gifts ,section #aabcc7;b77#c77;,a7 of  
such ,act 7sec4 #bd-acc7;b77#c77;,a71   
,d4,c4 ,official ,code7 is amended to   
read as follows3  7,a7 ,authority to    
accept gifts ,the ,director may accept1 
solicit1 and use on behalf of the       
,agency any monetary or nonmonetary     
gift1 donation1 bequest1 or use of      
facilities1 property1 or services for   
the purpose of aiding or facilitating   
the work of the ,agency4  4  7c7        
,permanent ,authority ,to ,accept and   
,use ,reimbursements ,from ,district    

,government ,section #aabcc7;b77#d7 of  
such ,act 7sec4 #bd-acc7;b77#d77 is     
amended by striking ,during fiscal years
 #bjjf through #bjjh1 the ,director and 
inserting ,the ,director4  #d4          
,authorities of ,public ,defender       
,service  7a7 ,acceptance and ,use of   
,services of ,volunteers ,section       
#cjg7;b7 of such ,act 7sec4 #b-afjg7;b71
 ,d4,c4 ,official ,code7 is amended by  
striking the ,service may accept public 
grants and private contributions made to
 assist it and inserting the ,service   
may accept and use public grants1       
private contributions1 and voluntary and
 uncompensated 7gratuitous7 services to 
assist it4  7b7 ,treatment of ,members  
of ,board of ,trustees as ,employees of 
,service for ,purposes of ,liability    
7#a7 ,in general ,section #cjc7;d7 of   
such ,act 7sec4 #b-afjc7;d71 ,d4,c4     
,official ,code7 is amended by striking 
employees of the ,district of ,columbia 
and inserting employees of the ,service4
  7#b7 ,effective date ,the amendment   

made by paragraph 7#a7 shall take effect
 as if included in the enactment of the 
,district of ,columbia ,courts and      
,justice ,technical ,corrections ,act of
 #aiih 7,public ,law #aje-bgd74