An Act to eliminate the public counsel fee

This bill proposes to eliminate a specific fee charged to indigent defendants in Massachusetts criminal cases. It directly affects low-income individuals who are legally required to hire public defenders for their representation. The legislation achieves this by gradually reducing the fee amount from $150 to $100 and then to $50 over two years before completely removing the charge entirely. The changes are implemented in stages, with the first reduction taking effect in 2025 and the total elimination occurring in 2027.