,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ag1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,nadler 7for himself and ,ms4 
,scanlon7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide 
for the establishment of the ,office for
 ,access to ,justice in the ,department 
of ,justice1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,office for ,access to ,justice 
,establishment ,act of #bjbj4  #b4      
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,department ,the term ,department means 
the ,department of ,justice4  7#b7      
,director ,the term ,director means the 
,director of the ,office4  7#c7 ,office 
,the term ,office means the ,office for 
,access to ,justice established under   
section #b4  #c4 ,office establishment  
7a7 ,in general ,there is established   
within the ,department1 the ,office for 
,access to ,justice1 which shall be     
headed by a ,director1 who shall be     

appointed by the ,attorney ,general4    
7b7 ,personnel and funds ,the ,attorney 
,general shall provide to the ,office   
such personnel and funds as are         
necessary to establish and operate the  
,office as a component of the           
,department4  7c7 ,order of reporting   
,the ,director shall report to the      
,attorney ,general through the ,deputy  
,attorney ,general and the ,associate   
,attorney ,general4  #d4 ,duties ,the   
,director shall-- 7#a7 serve as legal   
and policy advisor to the ,attorney     
,general to ensure access to justice for
 low-income and other underrepresented  
people in the criminal and civil justice
 systems2  7#b7 serve as the principal  
legal advisor for the ,department on the
 constitutional right to counsel and the
 other rights guaranteed under the      
,sixth ,amendment to the ,constitution  
of the ,united ,states2  7#c7 serve as  
the ,executive ,director of the ,legal  
,aid ,interagency ,roundtable in        
accordance with section #e2  7#d7 serve 

as the liaison and point of contact     
between the ,department and indigent    
defense and civil legal aid             
organizations1 including ,federal public
 defender organizations1 and conduct1   
along with the ,office of the ,attorney 
,general1 the ,office of the ,deputy    
,attorney ,general1 and the ,office of  
the ,associate ,attorney ,general1      
semi-annual meetings with               
representatives of these organizations  
to receive input and recommendations on 
how to improve access to justice and    
fulfillment of the right to counsel2    
7#e7 coordinate with other components   
and divisions within the ,department to 
ensure each is considering access to    
justice and right to counsel in policy1 
enforcement1 and funding decisions2     
7#f7 consult with ,department           
grantmaking components to ensure funding
 decisions take into account access to  
justice2 and  7#g7 consult with the     
,secretary of ,state and serve as the   
central authority of the executive      

branch on access to justice before      
international and multilateral          
organizations4  #e4 ,legal ,aid         
,interagency ,roundtable  7a7 ,purpose2 
composition  7#a7 ,in general ,not later
 than #ahj days after the date of       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney   
,general shall establish a ,legal ,aid  
,interagency ,roundtable1 which shall be
 headed by an ,executive ,director1 to  
raise the awareness of executive branch 
agencies of the ways in which civil     
legal aid and indigent defense can help 
advance a wide range of ,federal        
objectives1 including employment1 family
 stability1 housing1 consumer           
protection1 health services1 and public 
safety4  7#b7 ,composition ,the ,legal  
,aid ,interagency ,roundtable s         
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
be composed of representatives of       
executive branch department offices     
identified by the ,executive ,director  
of the ,legal ,aid ,roundtable with the 
consent of the ,attorney ,general4  7#c7

 ,requirement ,the ,executive ,director 
of the ,legal ,aid ,interagency         
,roundtable shall convene the           
,roundtable not less frequently than    
semi-annually4  7b7 ,duties ,the ,legal 
,aid ,interagency ,roundtable shall--   
7#a7 improve coordination among ,federal
 programs that help the vulnerable and  
underserved1 so that such programs are  
more efficient and produce better       
outcomes by including1 where            
appropriate1 legal services among the   
range of supportive services provided2  
7#b7 develop a list of federally funded 
programs and resources that incorporate 
or may incorporate civil legal aid and  
indigent defense2  7#c7 develop policy  
recommendations that improve access to  
justice in ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and 
,tribal jurisdictions2  7#d7 facilitate 
non-governmental partnerships to promote
 access to civil legal aid and indigent 
defense1 and further law enforcement and
 civil rights objectives2  7#e7 advance 
evidence-based research1 data           

collection1 and analysis on civil legal 
aid and indigent defense1 including the 
potential of technology innovations and 
non-traditional legal professionals to  
improve access to justice2  7#f7 promote
 the provision of civil legal aid to    
servicemembers1 servicemember families1 
and veterans2 and  7#g7 report on the   
activities of the ,legal ,aid           
,interagency ,roundtable to the         
,president on an annual basis1 including
 policy recommendations to improve      
access to civil and criminal justice in 
the ,united ,states4  7c7 ,appointment  
of representatives ,the head of each    
executive branch department and each    
participating executive agency and      
office shall designate a senior ,federal
 official who shall serve as their      
representative on the ,legal ,aid       
,interagency ,roundtable4