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119-s-1102119th Congress

Quality Defense Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

Introduced

Summary

Strengthen public defense by funding hiring and collecting national data. It would create two federal grant programs to boost public defender pay, expand staffing, and require standardized reporting to guide reforms and protect the right to counsel for adults and juveniles.

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  • Public defenders and panel attorneys would get grant support to hire more staff, increase compensation to better match prosecutor pay, and establish loan or retention programs. Grants run 3-year terms and cannot replace existing local funding.
  • Defendants and juveniles would benefit from measures aimed at protecting the constitutional right to counsel. The bill directs studies on caseload limits, best practices, and compensation to shape policy changes.
  • States, local governments, and Tribal organizations would be eligible for two grant types: data grants and hiring grants. Data grants require annual, case-level reporting for three years with possible renewal. The bill authorizes $250 million per year for five years for the grant program and $5 million per year for defender training. States that report data could receive a 5 percent increase in certain Department of Justice funds.

*This bill would increase federal spending by authorizing $250 million per year for five years for grants and $5 million per year for defender training.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Federal grants to strengthen public defense

This bill would create Department of Justice grants to improve public defense and data collection. It would authorize $250 million each year for five years to run the program. The grants would fund 3-year data grants to build case-level reporting and 3-year hiring grants to hire defenders, raise pay toward prosecutor parity, hire support staff, or fund loan-assistance. Hiring grants could not replace money the grantee already planned to spend, and grantees must send annual data to the Attorney General within 60 days after each fiscal year. The bill would also define key terms and let States that get certain DOJ formula funds choose to send case-level public defense data and apply for a 5% increase in those funds.

Studies on public defender workloads

This bill would require DOJ to study public defender caseload limits and pay. The Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office for Access to Justice would analyze submitted data, publish best practices, and update the caseload study at least every five years. The bill would also require a national study of public defender salaries and panel attorney rates within three years and publish recommendations using prosecutors' pay as a benchmark.

Training grants for public defenders

This bill would fund grants for ongoing training and support for public defenders and court-appointed lawyers. It would authorize $5 million each year for five years for programs on trial skills, negotiation, pretrial practice, client-centered lawyering, implicit bias, leadership, and ongoing support. Eligible applicants would include qualifying nonprofits, States, local governments, and Tribal governments.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

NJ • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2025

  • Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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