United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

HR 8997 — Right to Representation Act

Last action — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced May 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill addresses the right to representation in certain legal matters.

The Right to Representation Act establishes provisions for ensuring individuals have the right to representation in specific legal contexts. It aims to clarify and enforce these rights within the legal system.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

1 change Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill mandates that states provide legal representation for parents and children involved in child protection proceedings.

  • 42 U.S.C. 671(a)

    (38)(A) provides assurances that the State shall have in effect policies and administrative and judicial procedures that guarantee that, for the duration of any judicial proceeding involving an allegation of child abuse or neglect, including a dependency, adoption, guardianship, or termination of parental rights proceeding-- (i) an attorney is made available to provide independent legal representation to any individual who is involved in the proceeding by reason of being a parent or guardian; and (ii) an attorney provides independent legal representation to any individual who is involved in the proceeding by reason of being a child and who is alleged or found to have been abused or neglected; and (B) for purposes of subparagraph (A), `independent legal representation' means that an attorney-client relationship exists between the client and the attorney, pursuant to the State's rules of professional responsibility for lawyers.

    This change adds a requirement for states to ensure legal representation for parents and children in specific judicial proceedings related to child welfare.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety housing civil-rights energy
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HR 8997?
HR 8997 is sponsored by Scanlon, Mary Gay (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 8997?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced May 21, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HR 8997?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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