Description:
Under current law, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) covers transportation, meal, and incidental costs incurred by defendants as they travel to court appearances, if a federal judge determines they are indigent. H.R. 2694 would authorize the agency to reimburse defendants for those expenses incurred during court appearances and during return trips to their residence or place of arrest. In 2020, the USMS spent $18,000 covering the travel costs of defendants to court appearances. By requiring reimbursement for return trips, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would roughly double the travel costs paid by the agency. Using information provided by the agency on the number of defendants who may qualify and the per diem rates of reimbursement, CBO estimates that the costs for meals and other expenses incurred by defendants at court appearances would total less than $100,000 annually. In total, CBO estimates that implementing those provisions would cost less than $500,000 over the 2021‑2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. In addition, H.R. 2694 would allow magistrate judges, if the defendant has consented, to render decisions in proceedings that occur after the conclusion of a trial in criminal cases involving a petty offense or misdemeanor. As a result, some rulings would occur more quickly because they would be heard by a magistrate judge instead of a district court judge. Using information provided by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, CBO expects that while a portion of administrative case work would shift from district judges to magistrate judges, the total number of cases and staff required to review and rule on those cases would remain the same under the bill. Therefore, CBO estimates that implementing that provision would have no significant effect on the federal budget.
