S. 4837 – Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2024

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 6:15 PM UTC

The Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2024 amends Title 18 to ensure that indigent criminal defendants receive transportation and subsistence assistance, and it broadens the role of magistrate judges in handling post‑judgment matters. It requires judges to provide travel, lodging, and food for defendants who cannot afford it and to cover travel back to the place of arrest or residence. It also allows magistrate judges, with the defendant’s consent in petty offenses or misdemeanors, to rule on all post‑judgment motions such as habeas corpus, coram nobis, 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitions, and competency issues. The changes affect federal criminal defendants who are indigent and the magistrate judges who handle their cases.

Key Provisions

The bill revises the criteria for providing transportation and subsistence, granting assistance to defendants deemed indigent under the appointment of counsel or who cannot afford travel, and includes money for lodging and food, covering travel to each required appearance and back to the arrest location or residence.
The amendment expands magistrate judges’ authority, allowing them—when a defendant consents in petty offense or misdemeanor cases—to decide all post‑judgment motions, including habeas corpus, coram nobis, § 2255 petitions, and competency matters.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S5587)

Judiciary Committee

July 30, 2024

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 30, 2024

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S5587)

Judiciary Committee

July 30, 2024

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 4837 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · Jul 30, 2024

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Scarper Ridge Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act, straightforward, uncontroversial bill to adjust the boundary of the Golden Gate…

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Jul 30, 2024

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Jul 30, 2024

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 30, 2024

II

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4837

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 30, 2024

Mr. Durbin (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for transportation and subsistence for criminal justice defendants, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2024.

2.

Transportation and subsistence for criminal justice act defendants

Section 4285 of title 18, United States Code, is amended in the first sentence—

(1)

by striking when the interests of justice would be served thereby and the United States judge or magistrate judge is satisfied, after appropriate inquiry, that the defendant is financially unable to provide the necessary transportation to appear before the required court on his own and inserting when the United States judge or magistrate judge is satisfied that the defendant is indigent based on appointment of counsel pursuant to section 3006A, or, after appropriate inquiry, that the defendant is financially unable to provide necessary transportation;

(2)

by striking to the place where his appearance is required, and inserting to the place where each appearance is required and back to the place of the person’s arrest or bona fide residence,; and

(3)

by striking to his destination and inserting , which includes money for both lodging and food, during travel to the person’s destination and during any proceeding at which the person’s appearance is required.

3.

Effective use of magistrate judges to decide postjudgment motions

Section 3401 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in the second sentence—

(i)

by striking and after trial, judgment,; and

(ii)

by inserting , and rulings on all post-judgment motions after sentencing; and

(B)

in the third sentence—

(i)

by striking and after trial, judgment,; and

(ii)

by inserting , and rulings on all post-judgment motions after sentencing;

(2)

in subsection (c), by striking , with the approval of a judge of the district court,; and

(3)

by inserting after subsection (i) the following:

(j)

A magistrate judge who exercises trial jurisdiction under this section, in either a petty offense case or a misdemeanor case in which the defendant has consented to a magistrate judge, may also rule on all post-judgment motions in that case, including petitions for writs of habeas corpus, petitions for writs of coram nobis, motions to vacate a sentence under section 2255 of title 28, and motions related to mental competency under chapter 313 of this title.

.