28 U.S.C. § 2265 — Certification and judicial review

(a) Certification. (1) At an appropriate state official’s request, the Attorney General must determine (A) whether the State has a system for appointing, paying, and covering reasonable litigation expenses of competent counsel for indigent prisoners sentenced to death in state post-conviction proceedings; (B) when that system was established; and (C) whether the State has competency standards for appointing that counsel. (2) The system’s establishment date is the certification’s effective date. (3) Certification and application of this chapter have no requirements beyond those expressly stated here. (b) Regulations. The Attorney General must issue regulations implementing certification. (c) Review. (1) The Attorney General’s certification decision may be reviewed only as chapter 158 provides. (2) The D.C. Circuit has exclusive jurisdiction, subject to Supreme Court review under § 2350. (3) Review is de novo.