114th Congress

Washington, D.C.  – On Thursday, July 14, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice will hold a legislative hearing on S. 2040, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which recently passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support.  The hearing will examine the Senate approved version of JASTA, which would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to allow victims of terrorism to seek judicial redress against countries that aid and abet terrorist attacks on U.S.

Washington, D.C.  – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the statement below after the House of Representatives voted to approve the conference report for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524): “Over the past several weeks, conferees and staff have worked diligently to produce a comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation. No community is immune from this epidemic and all too often we hear of people losing their lives to these drugs.

Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you, Chairman Upton.  I appreciate your strong partnership throughout this important effort. Today, the House will complete its work on a comprehensive legislative package to combat the terrible epidemic of opioid abuse, which is ravaging our country. We have all heard the grim statistics.  129 people die every day from a drug overdose. That is more than 47,000 a year.  These people are our neighbors, friends, and loved ones.  They come from all walks of life and all communities. They need our help.

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3765) by a bipartisan vote of 15-6. This bill, authored by House Judiciary Committee member Ted Poe (R-Texas), requires the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice to develop a program to educate state and local governments and property owners on strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability.

Chairman Goodlatte: H.R. 3765, the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015, makes improvements to the public accommodation provisions under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Title III provides individuals with disabilities the “full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation,” which means places open to the public like retail stores, hotels, theaters, restaurants, and health care facilities. This law is a critical tool for disabled individuals to gain access to public accommodations.

The Rapid DNA Act is part of the House Judiciary Committee’s criminal justice reform initiativeWashington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote the Rapid DNA Act of 2016 (H.R. 320). This bill is part of the House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan criminal justice reform initiative. The Rapid DNA Act, authored by Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), updates current law to allow Rapid DNA analysis machines to be used at local police stations.

This bipartisan bill provides protections and access to a legal process for survivors of sexual assaultWashington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 (H.R.

Chairman Goodlatte: Last month, the harrowing account of the Stanford rape victim sparked outrage across the United States and around the globe. The survivor’s letter documented in graphic and painstaking detail the complicated, emotional, and overwhelming process facing victims of sexual assault.  I am going to read a small portion of that letter here. The victim writes:

“The next thing I remember I was in a gurney in a hallway. I had dried blood and bandages on the backs of my hands and elbow. I thought maybe I had fallen and was in an admin office on campus. . . Then, I felt pine needles scratching the back of my neck and started pulling them out my hair.