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Judiciary Committee Approves Unanimous Amendment to Fund Short-Term Public‑defense Staffing, Adds Reporting and Sunset
Summary
Lawmakers reviewed LD 1101 to increase availability of counsel for indigent defendants amid pending habeas litigation. Committee amendment shortens the pilot sunset, clarifies attorney qualifications, limits supervisory reach, and requires reporting to show impact on clients and any future plans for the positions.
Committee staff presented an expedited amendment to LD 1101, an act intended to address limited availability of counsel to represent indigent parties charged with matters affecting fundamental rights. Members said the bill was being handled quickly because of ongoing habeas corpus litigation and immediate gaps in counsel availability.
What the amendment does: Committee members described a unanimous committee amendment that (a) moves the program’s repeal/sunset date from July 1, 2027, to Feb. 1, 2026; (b) authorizes private attorneys appointed by trial or appellate courts to be compensated by the Commission on Public Defense Services (PDS) if they meet new qualification requirements; (c) requires appointed private attorneys to use PDS’s voucher review and payment system and be paid at the same rates as assigned counsel; (d) limits PDS supervisory authority over those court-appointed…
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