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House Congressional Members Voice Support for Reauthorization of the JJDPA
Earlier this month, efforts to introduce JJDPA reauthorization legislation in the House received an additional boost from a bi-partisan group of House members.
Following the April 21 Education & Labor Committee hearing on JJDPA reauthorization, Rep. Todd R. Platts (R-PA), the Ranking Member on the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, and Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-CT), lead sponsor of H.R. 1873, the Juvenile Justice Improvement Act of 2009, circulated a sign-on letter to members of the House, asking them to voice their support for JJDPA reauthorization. On May 14, a final letter was submitted to Education & Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member John Kline (R-MN) – with signatures from 52 Democrat and Republican Members.
The House support letter comes just weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice released its formal “views” letter, voicing strong support for JJDPA reauthorization, particularly as articulated by S. 678, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2009. Originally sponsored by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), S. 678 now has 11 additional bi-partisan co-sponsors and reflects both broad and specific recommendations put forth by CJJ and other juvenile justice reform allies.
While these recent developments are not guarantees, CJJ remains hopeful that the JJDPA may be fully authorized by the end of the year. CJJ encourages its members to watch for additional action alerts in the coming weeks, and to be prepared to do all that they can to help our nation realize a stronger and better-resourced reauthorization of the JJDPA.
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