119th Congress · introduced in the Senate · Mar 25, 2025
Quality Defense Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Mar 25, 2025): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in Senate (Mar 25, 2025)
Providing a Quality Defense Act of 2025 or the Quality Defense Act of 2025
This bill establishes grant programs and other resources to support the delivery of public defense services.
Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to state and local governments, tribal organizations, public defender's offices, and assigned counsel programs for public defense. In particular, DOJ may award a grant for (1) developing, implementing, and updating a process for collecting certain data regarding public defense attorneys and panel attorneys; or (2) hiring additional public defense attorneys and for other activities (e.g., increasing compensation or establishing a loan assistance program for public defenders).
Additionally, DOJ must award grants to eligible entities (e.g., certain tax-exempt organizations and states) to provide a comprehensive educational program to public defenders and panel attorneys that offers ongoing training, support, and programming.
The bill directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office for Access to Justice to conduct certain studies related to public defender and panel attorney caseloads and compensation.
The bill also authorizes DOJ to provide a state with an increase in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program funds in order to collect and submit certain data related to the legal representation of defendants in criminal cases.
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 25, 2026.
7 citations.
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Aug 13, 2026 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$15,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act (H.R. 3111 / S.2590); supporting the Clean Slate Act (H.R. 3114 / S.1580); supporting the FAIR Act, S…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Jun 1, 2026 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$15,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act (H.R. 3111 / S.2590); supporting the Clean Slate Act (H.R. 3114 / S.1580); supporting the FAIR Act, S…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Feb 25, 2026 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$10,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act (H.R. 3111 / S.2590); supporting the Clean Slate Act (H.R. 3114 / S.1580); supporting the FAIR Act, S…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 23, 2025 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act (H.R. 3111 / S.2590); supporting the Clean Slate Act (H.R. 3114 / S.1580); supporting the FAIR Act, S…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Aug 21, 2025 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act (H.R. 3111); supporting the Clean Slate Act (H.R. 3114 / S.1580); supporting the FAIR Act, S.263; sup…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE · lobbying firm or registrant: DUE PROCESS INSTITUTE
2025 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025) · posted Jul 9, 2025 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
Supporting the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, H.R. 2159; supporting the Quality Defense Act, S.1102; supporting the EQUAL Act; supporting the Fresh Start Act; supporting the Clean Slate Act; supporting the FAIR Act, S.263; supporting the Kenneth P. Thompson B…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION · lobbying firm or registrant: AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
2025 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025) · posted Apr 21, 2025 · issue area: Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice
$260,000
Spent on own lobbying
S.1102, the Quality Defense Act - in support of state and local public defense systems. Activity in support of reintroduction of the EQUAL Defense Act to support stat…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing