Robert Wexler: “Mr. Speaker, the Bail Bond Fairness Act will ensure equality and fairness for all Federal defendants and will make it…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Bail Bond Fairness Act will ensure equality and fairness for all Federal defendants and will make it possible for bail agents to once again write bonds in Federal courts. This bill addresses a serious problem in the Federal bail bond system, created by requirements that bail agents not only ensure the appearance of defendants in court, but also guarantee other conditions beyond the agent's control, such as alcohol consumption and curfews. As a result, bail bond agents have stopped writing bonds in Federal cases, and lower-income defendants have become unable to post bail while wealthier individuals do so easily. The result is that poor defendants can't afford bail and must, therefore, stay in jail at taxpayer expense. H.R. 2286 would remedy these problems and allow professional bail agents to return to the Federal court system.”