# 114-hr-5124: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016

114-hr-5124, Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016, is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] (D-NY); status Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5124
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-5124
- Congress: 114
- Title: Equal Justice Under Law Act of 2016
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Introduced: 2016-04-29
- Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 16
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

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.

## Cosponsors (16)

- Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8] (D-NY), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Richmond, Cedric L. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- JOHN CONYERS (D-MI), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- JOHN LEWIS (D-GA), 2016-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2016-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2016-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- JOSE SERRANO (D-NY), 2016-05-25T00:00:00.000Z
- CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY), 2016-05-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2016-05-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2016-05-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14] (D-MI), 2016-05-26T00:00:00.000Z
- ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD), 2016-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cárdenas, Tony [D-CA-29] (D-CA), 2016-06-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] (D-FL), 2016-07-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika virus.
- 114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
- 114-hr-4479: Families of Flint Act
- 114-hr-4269: Assault Weapons Ban of 2015
- 114-hr-3308: Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act
- 114-hr-3268: PAST Act

## Sources
- [114-hr-5124 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5124)

## Related
- [114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika viru…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5044)
- [114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4592)
- [114-hr-4479: Families of Flint Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4479)
- [114-hr-4269: Assault Weapons Ban of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4269)
- [114-hr-3308: Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3308)
- [114-hr-3268: PAST Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3268)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5124 (as of 2025-11-18).