On April 29, 2026, the Department of Justice published Notice of Requests for Certification of Capital Counsel Mechanisms of Florida and Mississippi in the Federal Register:
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the States of Florida and Mississippi have requested certification of their capital counsel mechanisms by the Attorney General and that public comments may be submitted to the Department of Justice regarding these requests.
DATES: Written and electronic comments must be submitted on or before June 29, 2026. Comments received by mail will be considered timely if they are postmarked on or before that date. The electronic Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) will accept comments until Midnight Eastern Time at the end of that day.
ADDRESSES: Please reference ‘‘Docket No. OLP184’’ on all electronic and written correspondence. The Department encourages all comments to be submitted electronically through http://www.regulations.gov using the electronic form provided on that site. Paper comments that duplicate the electronic submission should not be submitted. Individuals who wish to submit written comments may send those to the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section immediately below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aaron Haviland, Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530; telephone (202) 514–4601.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chapter 154 of title 28, United States Code, provides special procedures for federal habeas corpus review of cases brought by indigent prisoners in state custody who are subject to capital sentences. These procedures may be available to a State only if the Attorney General of the United States has certified that the State has established a qualifying mechanism for the appointment, compensation, and payment of reasonable litigation expenses of competent counsel. 28 U.S.C. 2261, 2265; 28 CFR part 26.
This notice advises the public, pursuant to 28 CFR 26.23(b), that the States of Florida and Mississippi have requested certification of their capital counsel mechanisms by the Attorney General. Public comment is solicited regarding these requests. The requests and supporting materials may be viewed at https://www.justice.gov/olp/pending- requests-final-decisions.
Dated: April 21, 2026.
Daniel E. Burrows, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy.