Federal Register #2026-13970

Federal Certification of Tennessee Capital Counsel Mechanism and New AI Data Collection Initiative

This notice covers two federal actions: certification of Tennessee's postconviction capital counsel mechanism and a new data collection initiative on AI use. - Government Buyer: - Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General (certification) - Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (AI data collection) - OEMs and Vendors: - No OEMs or commercial vendors are mentioned; these are legal and research actions, not product procurements - Products/Services Requested: - Certification service: Confirmation that Tennessee's system for appointing and compensating counsel for indigent capital defendants in capital cases meets federal requirements (28 U.S.C. chapter 154) - Data collection service: Addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage questions to the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), surveying 7,672 individuals annually for two years - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Tennessee's mechanism must include standards for appointment, competency, compensation, and payment of reasonable litigation expenses for postconviction capital counsel - The ATUS AI module aims to provide nationally representative data on AI tool usage linked to detailed time use information - No procurement of goods or commercial services is involved; these are legal certification and federal survey initiatives

Description

This notice certifies that Tennessee has established a postconviction capital counsel mechanism that satisfies the requirements of chapter 154 of title 28 of the United States Code. The mechanism was established on July 1, 1997, and provides procedural benefits to the State in federal habeas corpus review of capital cases. The certification confirms Tennessee's compliance with federal law regarding the compensation and appointment of counsel for indigent capital defendants. The notice includes details on compensation rates and the structure of the counsel mechanism.

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