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HR 3815119th CongressIntroduced

True Justice Act of 2025

Introduced: Jun 6, 2025
Civil Rights & Justice
View on Congress.gov
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The True Justice Act of 2025 would authorize the Department of Justice, specifically the Attorney General, to award grants to states, units of local government, and public defender offices to improve legal representation for people in post-arrest judicial proceedings, including at the initial appearance. It also creates grants to fund training for public defenders, court-appointed attorneys, and contract attorneys on best practices for representing individuals in these proceedings. The bill sets criteria for grant amounts, requiring consideration of technology/training needs and the relative size of each jurisdiction’s justice system. It authorizes $50 million annually for 2026–2030 to carry out these programs. In addition, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that the right to counsel under Gideon v. Wainwright applies to all post-arrest proceedings.

Key Points

  • 1Public Defender Services Grants: The Attorney General may award grants to states, local governments, and public defender offices to provide legal representation for individuals in post-arrest judicial proceedings, including at initial appearance.
  • 2Public Defender Training Grants: The Attorney General may award grants to states, local governments, and non-profit organizations to train public defenders, court-appointed attorneys, and contract attorneys on best practices for these proceedings.
  • 3Eligibility and Application: Eligible entities must apply to the Attorney General with information the department requires.
  • 4Funding and Formula: Grant amounts consider (1) technology and training costs needed to provide services or training, and (2) the relative size of the entity’s justice system compared to others (by whether the entity is a state, local government unit, or tribal entity).
  • 5Authorization of Appropriations: The bill would authorize $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026–2030 to fund these grants.
  • 6Constitutional Sense: Congress states that the Gideon v. Wainwright right to counsel applies to all post-arrest proceedings.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Individuals facing post-arrest proceedings (including initial appearance) who need legal representation; public defender offices; and the broader apparatus of state and local criminal justice systems.Secondary group/area affected: States, units of local government, tribal organizations, public defender services, court-appointed and contract defense counsel, and training organizations/non-profits involved in defender services.Additional impacts: Potential improvements in the quality and consistency of counsel in post-arrest proceedings; implications for budgeting and resource allocation at state/local levels; potential effects on pretrial outcomes (e.g., bail decisions, court efficiency) and overall fairness in the pretrial stage; requirements for accountability and reporting on grant use (through DOJ oversight).
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