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HR 5124 114th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Civil actions and liability Constitution and constitutional amendments Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Criminal procedure and sentencing Juvenile crime and gang violence Lawyers and legal services Legal fees and court costs State and local courts

Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016

Introduced: April 29, 2016 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 17, 2016
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
May 17, 2016
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Apr 29, 2016
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Apr 29, 2016
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016

This bill states that an indigent individual facing criminal prosecution or juvenile delinquency in a state court is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, at the state's expense.

The bill authorizes a federal class action lawsuit against a state for its systemic failure to guarantee the right to effective assistance of counsel. The assistance of counsel is ineffective when a class of individuals demonstrates that counsel's performance was not reasonable under prevailing professional norms.

What's happening now May 17, 2016

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 3144 Related bill Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 5
D
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Florida · Jul 5, 2016
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · May 26, 2016
 D
Wilson, Frederica S.
Florida · May 26, 2016
 D
Jeffries, Hakeem S.
New York · Apr 29, 2016
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Apr 29, 2016
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5124: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-5124/
MLA
"H.R. 5124: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-5124/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5124, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-5124/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5124: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-5124/)
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