,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gida  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #d1 #bjbj,ms4
 ,norton introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend title #aa1 ,district of ,columbia 
,official ,code1 to expand the          
authorities of magistrate judges of the 
,district of ,columbia courts1 to       
modernize the rules and procedures for  
the service of jurors in ,district of   
,columbia courts1 to authorize the      
establishment of a program of voluntary 
separation incentive payments for       
nonjudicial employees of the ,district  
of ,columbia courts and employees of the
 ,district of ,columbia ,public         
,defender ,service1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,district of        
,columbia ,courts ,improvement ,act of  
#bjbj4  #b4 ,expansion of authority of  
magistrate judges of ,superior ,court to
 perform certain judicial functions  7a7

 ,expanded authorities described        
,section #aa-agcb7;j71 ,district of     
,columbia ,official ,code1 is amended by
 striking paragraph 7#e7 and inserting  
the following3  7#e7 ,issue arrest and  
search warrants pursuant to subchapters 
,,ii and ,,iv of chapter #e of title    
#bc1 ,district of ,columbia ,official   
,code1 and search warrants pursuant to  
section #ad of the ,uniform ,narcotic   
,drug ,act 7#eb ,stat4 #gib2 sec4       
#dh-iba4jb1 ,d4,c4 ,official ,code74    
7#f7 ,in the case of proceedings which  
are initiated prior to the expiration of
 the #e-year period which begins on the 
date of the enactment of the ,district  
of ,columbia ,courts ,improvement ,act  
of #bjbj1 conduct hearings1 make        
findings1 and enter interim and final   
orders or judgments in uncontested or   
contested proceedings in the ,probate   
and ,civil ,divisions of the ,superior  
,court1 excluding the following         
proceedings3 7,a7 ,trials4  7,b7        
,contested motions to dismiss1 for      

judgment on the pleadings1 and for      
summary judgment4  7#g7 ,enter an order 
punishing an individual for contempt1   
except that no individual may be        
detained pursuant to the authority of   
this paragraph for longer than #ahj     
days1 and such an order shall not be    
subject to the limitations and          
exclusions applicable to orders under   
paragraph 7#f74  7#h7 ,in addition to   
the functions described in the preceding
 paragraphs1 with the consent of the    
parties involved1 conduct hearings1 make
 findings1 and enter interim and final  
orders or judgments in all other        
uncontested or contested proceedings in 
the ,civil1 ,criminal1 and ,probate     
,divisions and the ,family ,court of the
 ,superior ,court1 excluding jury trials
 in the ,criminal ,division and trials  
of felony cases in the ,criminal        
,division4  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment
 relating to review of orders and       
judgments ,section #aa-agcb7k71         
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 

is amended by striking ,with respect to 
proceedings and all that follows through
 in the case of magistrate judges and   
inserting the following3 ,with respect  
to hearings and proceedings under       
paragraphs 7#b71 7#c71 7#d71 7#f71 7#g71
 and 7#h7 of subsection 7j7 7or         
proceedings and hearings under section  
#aa-agcb;,a7d71 in the case of          
magistrate judges4  7c7 ,technical      
amendment ,paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 7#c71 
and 7#d7 of section #aa-agcb7;j71       
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
are each amended by striking the        
semicolon at the end and inserting a    
period4  7d7 ,effective date ,the       
amendments made by this section shall   
take effect on the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 except that paragraph    
7#e7 of section #aa-agcb7;j71 ,district 
of ,columbia ,official ,code 7as amended
 by subsection 7a771 shall take effect  
on the effective date of a law enacted  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act by the government of the ,district 

of ,columbia which amends section       
#bc-eja7a71 ,district of ,columbia      
,official ,code1 and section #ad of the 
,uniform ,narcotic ,drug ,act 7#eb      
,stat4 #gib2 sec4 #dh-iba4jb1 ,d4,c4    
,official ,code7 to take such paragraph 
7as amended by subsection 7a77 into     
account4  #c4 ,modernization of rules   
and procedures relating to service of   
jurors  7a7 ,establishing fees for      
jurors serving in ,superior ,court of   
the ,district of ,columbia at same rates
 paid for jurors serving in ,united     
,states district courts  7#a7           
,establishment of fees ,section         
#aa-aiab7;a71 ,district of ,columbia    
,official ,code1 is amended to read as  
follows3  7a7 ,grand and petit jurors   
serving in the ,superior ,court shall   
receive fees and expenses at rates      
equivalent to the rates provided under  
section #ahga of title #bh1 ,united     
,states ,code1 for fees and allowances  
paid to grand and petit jurors appearing
 in the district courts of the ,united  

,states4  4  7#b7 ,conforming amendment 
,section #ae-gah1 ,district of ,columbia
 ,official ,code1 is repealed4  7#c7    
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this subsection shall apply with respect
 to fees and expenses paid on or after  
the first day of the first fiscal year  
which begins after the date of the      
enactment of this ,act4  7b7            
,modernizing process for serving of     
summonses  7#a7 ,juror qualification    
forms ,section #aa-aijf7;c71 ,district  
of ,columbia ,official ,code1 is        
amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by    
striking shall provide that a juror     
qualification form be mailed and        
inserting shall require that a juror    
qualification form be provided2 and     
7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking     
return and inserting submit4  7#b7 ,use 
of electronic communication ,section    
#aa-aijg7;a71 ,district of ,columbia    
,official ,code1 is amended by striking 
the last sentence and inserting the     
following3 ,under the jury system plan1 

service of prospective jurors may be    
made personally1 by mail1 or1 with the  
consent of the prospective juror1 by    
electronic communication44  7c7         
,permitting individuals #gj years of age
 or older ,to opt out of service        
,section #aa-aijh7;b71 ,district of     
,columbia ,official ,code1 is amended-- 
7#a7 by striking or 7#d7 and inserting  
7#d72 and  7#b7 by striking the period  
at the end of the first sentence and    
inserting the following3 2 or 7#e7      
excluded by the ,court upon the request 
of the individual if the individual is  
#gj years of age or older44  #d4        
,authorization for program of voluntary 
separation incentive payments  7a7      
,program for ,district of ,columbia     
courts  7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #ag of
 title #aa1 ,district of ,columbia      
,official ,code1 is amended by inserting
 after section #aa-agbf the following   
new section3  #aa-agbf;,a4 ,voluntary   
separation incentive payments ,the      
,joint ,committee on ,judicial          

,administration may1 by regulation1     
establish a program substantially       
similar to the program established under
 subchapter ,,ii of chapter #ce of title
 #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for         
nonjudicial employees of the ,district  
of ,columbia courts1 except that the    
maximum amount of the payment made under
 the program to any individual may not  
exceed the amount referred to in section
 #cebc7;b77#c77;,b7 of title #e1 ,united
 ,states ,code4  4  7#b7 ,clerical      
amendment ,the table of contents of     
chapter #ag of title #aa1 ,district of  
,columbia ,official ,code1 is amended by
 inserting after the item relating to   
section #aa-agbf the following new item3
  #aa-agbf;,a4 ,voluntary separation    
incentive payments4  4  7b7 ,program for
 ,district of ,columbia ,public         
,defender ,service ,section #cje of the 
,district of ,columbia ,court ,reform   
and ,criminal ,procedure ,act of #aigj  
7sec4 #b-afje1 ,d4,c4 ,official ,code7  
is amended by adding at the end the     

following new subsection3  7d7 ,the     
,director may establish a program       
substantially similar to the program    
established under subchapter ,,ii of    
chapter #ce of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 for employees of the ,service1  
except that the maximum amount of the   
payment made under the program to any   
individual may not exceed the amount    
referred to in section                  
#cebc7;b77#c77;,b7 of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code4  4  7c7 ,no effect on    
previous payments ,nothing in this      
section or the amendments made by this  
section may be construed to affect any  
voluntary separation incentive payment  
made prior to the date of the enactment 
of this ,act under a program established
 by the ,joint ,committee on ,judicial  
,administration in the ,district of     
,columbia or the ,district of ,columbia 
,public ,defender ,service4  #e4        
,adjustments in compensation rates for  
certain personnel  7a7 ,attorneys       
representing indigent defendants  7#a7  

,in general ,section #aa-bfjd7;a71      
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended by striking at a fixed rate  
of #ij per hour and inserting an hourly 
rate not to exceed the rate payable     
under section #cjjf;,a7d77#a7 of title  
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7       
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to
 cases and proceedings initiated on or  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  7b7 ,criminal justice            
investigators  7#a7 ,in general ,section
 #aa-bfje1 ,district of ,columbia       
,official ,code1 is amended by striking 
7or1 in the case of investigative       
services1 a fixed rate of #be per hour7 
each place it appears in subsections 7b7
 and 7c74  7#b7 ,effective date ,the    
amendments made by this section shall   
apply with respect to investigative     
services provided in connection with    
cases and proceedings initiated on or   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  #f4 ,authority of ,executive     

,officer of ,courts over ,register of   
,wills  7a7 ,appointment and removal    
7#a7 ,in general ,section #aa-agbe7;b71 
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended-- 7,a7 by inserting the      
,register of ,wills1 after the clerks of
 the courts12 and  7,b7 by striking     
7other than the ,register of ,wills and 
personal law clerks and secretaries of  
the judges7 and inserting 7other than   
personal law clerks and judicial        
administrative assistants of the        
judges74  7#b7 ,conforming amendment    
,section #aa-bajb7;a71 ,district of     
,columbia ,official ,code1 is amended by
 striking ,the ,superior ,court shall   
appoint and remove and inserting        
,pursuant to section #aa-agbe7;b71 the  
,executive ,officer of the ,district of 
,columbia ,courts shall appoint and may 
remove4  7b7 ,determination of          
compensation ,section #aa-bajb7;c71     
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended to read as follows3  7c7 ,the
 compensation of the ,register of ,wills

 shall be fixed in accordance with      
section #aa-agbf7;a74  4  7c7           
,assignment of duties ,section #aa-bajc1
 ,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1
 is amended by striking the chief judge 
of the ,superior ,court and inserting   
the ,executive ,officer of the ,district
 of ,columbia ,courts4  #g4             
,authorization of retroactive pay       
adjustments for court employees ,section
 #aa-agbf1 ,district of ,columbia       
,official ,code1 is amended by adding at
 the end the following new subsection3  
7d7 ,retroactive pay may be payable to  
an employee of the ,district of         
,columbia courts by reason of an        
increase in the salary or pay schedule  
applicable to the employee pursuant to  
this section which occurs during fiscal 
year #bjbj or any succeeding fiscal     
year1 but only if-- 7#a7 the employee is
 in the service of the ,district of     
,columbia courts on the date of final   
action by the ,executive ,officer       
regarding the increase2 or  7#b7 the    

employee retired or died during the     
period beginning on the effective date  
of the increase and ending on the date  
of final action by the ,executive       
,officer regarding the increase1 except 
that retroactive pay for such an        
employee shall be provided only with    
respect to services performed during    
that period4  4  #h4 ,revising certain  
references  7a7 ,references to ,domestic
 ,violence ,division  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,district of ,columbia ,official   
,code is amended by striking ,domestic  
,violence ,unit each place it appears in
 the following sections and inserting   
,domestic ,violence ,division3 7,a7     
,section #aa-ijb7;d74  7,b7 ,section    
#aa-aaja7;b77#b74  7,c7 ,section        
#aa-agcb4  7,d7 ,section #af-ajja7e74   
7,e7 ,section #af-ajjc7;a74  7,f7       
,section #af-ajjd7;a74  7#b7 ,special   
rules for magistrate judges ,section    
#aa-agcb;,a1 ,district of ,columbia     
,official ,code1 is amended-- 7,a7 in   
the heading1 by striking ,domestic      

,violence ,unit and inserting ,domestic 
,violence ,division2 and  7,b7 by       
striking ,domestic ,violence ,unit each 
place it appears and inserting ,domestic
 ,violence ,division4  7#c7 ,clerical   
amendment ,the table of sections at the 
beginning of subchapter ,,ii of chapter 
#ag of title #aa1 ,district of ,columbia
 ,official ,code1 is amended by amending
 the item relating to section           
#aa-agcb;,a to read as follows3         
#aa-agcb;,a4 ,special rules for         
magistrate judges of the ,family ,court 
of the ,superior ,court and the         
,domestic ,violence ,division4  4  7b7  
,references to individuals with         
intellectual disabilities  7#a7 ,section
 #aa-eja7b77;,d71 ,district of ,columbia
 ,official ,code1 is amended by striking
 substantially retarded persons and     
inserting persons with moderate         
intellectual disabilities4  7#b7        
,section #aa-iba7;a77#d77;,d71 ,district
 of ,columbia ,official ,code1 is       
amended by striking substantially       

retarded persons and inserting persons  
with moderate intellectual disabilities4
  7#c7 ,section #aa-aaja7;a77#ae71      
,district of ,columbia ,official ,code1 
is amended by striking the at least     
moderately mentally retarded and        
inserting persons with moderate         
intellectual disabilities4