legislation
Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API
108 rows where congress = 114 and policy_area = "Law" sorted by introduced_date descending
This data as json, CSV (advanced)
Suggested facets: origin_chamber, sponsor_party, introduced_date (date), latest_action_date (date), update_date (date)
| bill_id | congress | bill_type | bill_number | title | policy_area | introduced_date ▲ | latest_action_date | latest_action_text | origin_chamber | sponsor_name | sponsor_state | sponsor_party | sponsor_bioguide_id | cosponsor_count | summary_text | update_date | url |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114-hr-6477 | 114 | hr | 6477 | Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act | Law | 2016-12-08 | 2016-12-16 | Became Public Law No: 114-319. | House | Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] | OH | R | C000266 | 3 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.) Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal judicial code with respect to denial of a foreign state's sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. or state courts in commercial activity cases where rights in property taken in violation of international law are in issue and that property, or any property exchanged for it, is: (1) present in the United States in connection with a commercial activity carried on by the foreign state in the United States, or (2) owned by an agency or instrumentality of the foreign state and that agency or instrumentality is engaged in a commercial activity in the United States. The bill grants a foreign state or certain carriers immunity from federal or state court jurisdiction for any activity in the United States associated with a temporary exhibition or display of a work of art or other object of cultural significance if: the work of art or other object of cultural significance is imported into the United States from any foreign country pursuant to an agreement for its temporary exhibition or display between a foreign state that is its owner or custodian and the United States or U.S. cultural or educational institutions; and the President has determined that such work is culturally significant and its temporary exhibition or display is in the national interest. The bill denies immunity, however, in cases concerning rights in property taken in violation of international law in which the action is based upon a claim that the work was taken: (1) between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, by the government of Germany or any government in Europe occupied, assisted, or allied by the German government; or (2) after 1900 in connection with the acts of a foreign government as part of a systematic campaign of coercive confiscation or misappropriation of works from members of a targeted and vulner… | 2023-04-24T20:39:47Z | |
| 114-s-3524 | 114 | s | 3524 | A bill to amend Rule 611 of the Federal Rules of Evidence to prohibit cross-examination by the accused of minor victims of sexual assault. | Law | 2016-12-08 | 2016-12-08 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] | AZ | R | F000444 | 1 | This bill amends the Federal Rules of Evidence to establish a procedure to prohibit pro se criminal defendants (defendants representing themselves without a lawyer) accused of sexual assault of a minor under age 18 from cross-examining the minor. Upon application by the prosecutor, the minor, or the minor's representative, the defendant is prohibited from conducting such a cross-examination unless the court finds that it is necessitated by exceptional circumstances to protect the defendant's constitutional rights. The cross-examination of the minor shall instead be conducted by an attorney for the defendant under the court's supervision. | 2023-01-11T13:34:43Z | |
| 114-sres-613 | 114 | sres | 613 | A resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services in Oxford, Mississippi. | Law | 2016-09-29 | 2016-09-29 | Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6281) | Senate | Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] | MS | R | W000437 | 2 | Recognizes the 50th anniversary of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services in Oxford, Mississippi. | 2023-01-11T13:34:05Z | |
| 114-hr-6130 | 114 | hr | 6130 | Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-09-22 | 2016-12-16 | Became Public Law No: 114-308. | House | Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] | VA | R | G000289 | 7 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.) Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 (Sec. 5) This bill allows civil claims or causes of action for the recovery of artwork or certain other property lost between January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1945, because of Nazi persecution to be commenced within six years after the claimant's actual discovery of: (1) the identity and location of the artwork or other property, and (2) a possessory interest in the artwork or property. Such statutory limitation period of six years after actual discovery preempts any other statutes of limitation or defenses relating to the passage of time. Preexisting claims known by a claimant before enactment of this bill shall be considered discovered on the date of this bill's enactment if they were barred before, or not barred on, the date of enactment. This bill applies to claims or actions that are: (1) pending on the date of this bill's enactment, including an action for which the time to file an appeal has not expired; or (2) filed after enactment but before 2027. But the bill does not apply to claims barred on the day before enactment of this bill if: (1) the claimant had knowledge on or after January 1, 1999, and (2) six years have passed from the date such claimant acquired such knowledge and during which time the claim was not barred by a statute of limitations. | 2023-04-24T20:39:47Z | |
| 114-s-3370 | 114 | s | 3370 | Safety Over Secrecy Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-09-21 | 2016-09-21 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] | RI | D | W000802 | 0 | Safety Over Secrecy Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to prohibit courts, except when balancing confidentiality interests against public awareness interests in response to a party's motion, from approving or ordering the enforcement of any provision of a settlement agreement in a civil suit if: (1) a pleading in the suit alleges facts relevant to protecting the public from a hazard to public safety or health; and (2) the provision prohibits a party from disclosing settlement terms (other than the amount of any money paid under the settlement) or from discussing the suit, evidence produced in the suit, or the hazard to public safety or health. A "hazard to public safety or health" is defined as an activity, substance, or condition that has a potential to cause harm to the health or safety of the public. Upon a motion by a party to the settlement agreement, a court may approve or order enforcement of such a provision if: (1) the public interest in disclosure of facts relevant to protecting the public is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information or records, and (2) the requested order is no broader than necessary to protect such confidentiality. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that the interest in protecting financial, medical, or other similar personal information relating to an identifiable individual outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Courts may redact language to accommodate personal privacy and public awareness. The bill also prohibits courts from approving or ordering the enforcement of a settlement agreement provision in a civil suit that includes allegations concerning public safety and health hazards if the provision restricts a party from disclosing such information to a federal or state agency with law enforcement or regulatory authority over related activity. But facts disclosed to a federal or state agency must be protected as confidential under any other laws, regulations, or agreemen… | 2023-01-11T13:33:33Z | |
| 114-s-3323 | 114 | s | 3323 | State-Owned Entity Transparency and Accountability Reform Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-09-14 | 2016-09-14 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5723-5724) | Senate | Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] | IA | R | G000386 | 0 | State-Owned Entity Transparency and Accountability Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to allow U.S. courts to hear cases against a foreign state's corporate affiliates under the exception to foreign sovereign immunity that subjects a foreign state's commercial activities to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. In determining whether a U.S. court has jurisdiction to hear a case based on the commercial activity of a foreign state, a commercial activity of an agency or instrumentality of a foreign state is attributable to any corporate affiliate of the agency or instrumentality that: (1) directly or indirectly owns a majority of shares of the agency or instrumentality, and (2) is also an agency or instrumentality of a foreign state. | 2023-01-11T13:33:34Z | |
| 114-s-3260 | 114 | s | 3260 | Volunteer Pilot Protection Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-07-14 | 2016-07-14 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] | OK | R | I000024 | 4 | Volunteer Pilot Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to provide liability protection to volunteers of a volunteer pilot nonprofit organization that arranges flights for public benefit in the case of harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. Volunteers shall not be liable if they: (1) were operating an aircraft in furtherance of the purpose of, and acting within the scope of their volunteer responsibilities on behalf of, the nonprofit organization; (2) were properly licensed and insured for the operation of the aircraft; (3) were in compliance with all requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration for recent flight experience; and (4) did not cause the harm through willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed by the volunteer. | 2023-01-11T13:33:11Z | |
| 114-s-3155 | 114 | s | 3155 | Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act | Law | 2016-07-11 | 2016-09-15 | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 632. | Senate | Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] | UT | R | H000338 | 14 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal judicial code with respect to denial of a foreign state's sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. or state courts in commercial activity cases where rights in property taken in violation of international law are in issue and that property, or any property exchanged for it, is: (1) present in the United States in connection with a commercial activity carried on by the foreign state in the United States, or (2) owned by an agency or instrumentality of the foreign state and that agency or instrumentality is engaged in a commercial activity in the United States. The bill grants a foreign state or certain carriers immunity from federal or state court jurisdiction for any activity in the United States associated with a temporary exhibition or display of a work of art or other object of cultural significance if: the work of art or other object of cultural significance is imported into the United States from any foreign country pursuant to an agreement for its temporary exhibition or display between a foreign state that is its owner or custodian and the United States or U.S. cultural or educational institutions; and the President has determined that such work is culturally significant and its temporary exhibition or display is in the national interest. The bill denies immunity, however, in cases concerning rights in property taken in violation of international law in which the action is based upon a claim that the work was taken: (1) between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, by the government of Germany or any government in Europe occupied, assisted, or allied by the German government; or (2) after 1900 in connection with the acts of a foreign government against members of a targeted group as part of a similar systematic confiscation or misappropriation of works. For purposes… | 2023-01-11T13:33:16Z | |
| 114-hr-5675 | 114 | hr | 5675 | Temporary Judgeship Conversion Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-07-07 | 2016-07-20 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. McSally, Martha [R-AZ-2] | AZ | R | M001197 | 9 | Temporary Judgeship Conversion Act of 2016 This bill converts certain temporary U.S. district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified U.S. judicial districts in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. | 2023-01-11T13:33:27Z | |
| 114-s-3145 | 114 | s | 3145 | Gideon Act | Law | 2016-07-07 | 2016-07-07 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4917-4918) | Senate | Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] | NJ | D | B001288 | 0 | Clarence Gideon Full Access to Justice Act or the Gideon Act This bill amends the federal criminal code by establishing the Defender Office for Supreme Court Advocacy as a private, nonmembership, nonprofit corporation. It must advocate on behalf of individuals in noncapital cases involving an issue of federal criminal statutory law or constitutional law before: (1) the Supreme Court of the United States, and (2) the highest courts in the states when resources permit. The office may also provide assistance to attorneys advocating on behalf of those individuals. | 2023-01-11T13:33:16Z | |
| 114-hr-5618 | 114 | hr | 5618 | Enhancing United States Trustee Oversight Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-07-01 | 2016-07-20 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Trott, David A. [R-MI-11] | MI | R | T000475 | 0 | Enhancing United States Trustee Oversight Act of 2016 This bill authorizes U.S. trustees (who are appointed by the Attorney General to oversee certain bankruptcy cases and private trustees) to perform investigations, and to contract with auditors to perform audits, of trusts established as part of a reorganization plan confirmed under chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code, including a trust with respect to which an injunction is issued to carry out a discharge and enjoin entities from taking legal action to collect payment on a claim or demand to be paid by the trust. | 2023-01-11T13:33:29Z | |
| 114-hr-5590 | 114 | hr | 5590 | Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-06-28 | 2016-07-20 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. | House | Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] | OH | R | C000266 | 1 | Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2016 This bill revises the federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association (the corporation) to remove provisions that declare the corporation to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia. Its principal office may be in any U.S. location. The procedures for membership of the National Council of the Federal Bar Association and the election of the board of directors and officers are to be as provided for in the bylaws instead of under charter requirements. But the bill prohibits the terms of membership, or the requirements for serving as a director or officer, from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, or national origin. Prohibitions on the distribution of income or assets to a director, officer, or member shall not prevent: (1) board-approved payments of reasonable compensation or reimbursement for expenses incurred in undertaking the corporation's business; (2) the award of a grant to a Federal Bar Association chapter of an officer, director, or member; or (3) payment of reasonable compensation to the corporation's employees for services undertaken on the corporation's behalf. The prohibition on loans to directors or officers is expanded to include members or employees. The bill removes a provision that makes directors or officers jointly and severally liable to the corporation for assenting to a loan to a director or officer. The corporation may not claim congressional approval or the authority of the federal government for its activities. On dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, any assets remaining after the discharge of all liabilities shall be distributed as provided by the board of directors in compliance with the charter and bylaws. (Currently, any remaining assets shall be deposited in the Treasury.) | 2023-01-11T13:32:43Z | |
| 114-hr-5524 | 114 | hr | 5524 | Legal Services Corporation Repeal Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-06-16 | 2016-06-24 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5] | AZ | R | S000018 | 0 | Legal Services Corporation Repeal Act of 2016 This bill repeals the Legal Services Corporation Act, which established a federally funded nonprofit corporation to provide financial support for legal assistance in noncriminal matters to persons financially unable to afford such assistance. | 2023-01-11T13:32:45Z | |
| 114-s-3050 | 114 | s | 3050 | Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-06-10 | 2016-06-10 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] | OK | R | L000575 | 6 | Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 This bill prohibits government officials from entering into or enforcing a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States that provides for a payment to any person or entity other than the United States. The bill provides exceptions for payments that remedy actual harm (including to the environment) caused by the party making the payment or that constitute payment for services rendered in connection with the case. Government officials or agents who violate this prohibition may be removed from office or required to forfeit to the government any money they hold for such purposes to which they may otherwise be entitled. | 2023-01-11T13:32:39Z | |
| 114-hres-748 | 114 | hres | 748 | Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that United States law firms should not represent Iran in any judicial proceeding or other capacity to assist efforts of Iran to avoid paying compensation to victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism. | Law | 2016-05-25 | 2016-06-01 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3] | NC | R | J000255 | 1 | Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that U.S. law firms should not represent Iran in any judicial proceeding or other capacity to assist Iranian efforts to avoid paying compensation to victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism. | 2023-01-11T13:32:56Z | |
| 114-hr-5271 | 114 | hr | 5271 | Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-05-17 | 2016-05-20 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] | OH | R | T000463 | 8 | Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to reauthorize the independent counsel law (currently expired) for a five-year period. It extends to eight years after leaving office the period during which individuals who have held the following positions are still subject to preliminary investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether to apply to a division of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for the appointment of an independent counsel for further investigation and possible prosecution: the President or the Vice President; the Attorney General or the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, or Homeland Security; the U.S. Trade Representative, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Commissioner of Social Security, the Director of National Drug Control Policy, the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Director of National Intelligence; individuals working in the Executive Office of the President compensated at or above level II of the Executive Schedule; Assistant Attorneys General and DOJ employees compensated at or above level III of the Executive Schedule; or the Director of Central Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, or the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. | 2023-01-11T13:33:01Z | |
| 114-s-2909 | 114 | s | 2909 | CAPTIVE Act | Law | 2016-05-10 | 2016-05-10 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. | Senate | Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] | FL | D | N000032 | 2 | Clarifying Amendment to Provide Terrorism Victims Equity Act or the CAPTIVE Act This bill amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 regarding the blocked assets of a terrorist party which shall be subject to execution or attachment in aid of execution in order to satisfy a judgment based upon an act of terrorism in an action brought by or on behalf of the person obtaining the judgment. The bill redefines "blocked asset" to include any asset seized or frozen by the United States under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The bill also defines a "person" who has obtained such a judgment as a natural person who, at the time the act of terrorism was committed upon which the judgment was obtained, was: a national of the United States; a member of the U.S. Armed Forces; or otherwise an employee of the federal government, or of a federal government contractor, acting within the scope of employment. If the person described is deceased, the personal representative of the estate of that deceased person shall count as the person. | 2023-01-11T13:32:55Z | |
| 114-hr-5153 | 114 | hr | 5153 | FISA COURT Act | Law | 2016-04-29 | 2016-05-18 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. | House | Rep. Israel, Steve [D-NY-3] | NY | D | I000057 | 0 | FISA Court Oversight Underscoring Responsibility and Transparency Act or the FISA COURT Act This bill amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to require that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court consist of 11 publicly designated district court judges, of whom: 2 judges are designated by the President; 1 judge is designated by a majority of the Supreme Court; and 2 judges each are designated, respectively, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate. (Currently, the Chief Justice designates all 11 judges.) A majority of the Supreme Court (currently, the Chief Justice alone) shall designate three judges from the U.S. district courts or courts of appeals who shall comprise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. | 2023-01-11T13:31:30Z | |
| 114-s-2897 | 114 | s | 2897 | Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act | Law | 2016-04-28 | 2016-04-28 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] | CT | D | B001277 | 8 | Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of a dispute arising out of a contract for commercial mobile services, multichannel video programming distributor services, telecommunications or information services, or common carrier services under the Communications Act of 1934. The validity or enforceability of such an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than by an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. The bill does not apply to contracts between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations, except that no such arbitration provision shall waive the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy. | 2023-01-11T13:33:06Z | |
| 114-hr-5048 | 114 | hr | 5048 | Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-04-26 | 2016-05-11 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Guinta, Frank C. [R-NH-1] | NH | R | G000570 | 0 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.) Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016 (Sec. 3) This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report about the Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP's) review of state and local Good Samaritan laws that exempt from criminal or civil liability any individual who administers an opioid overdose reversal drug or device or who contacts emergency services providers in response to an overdose. The report must: (1) address the extent to which the ONDCP has reviewed such Good Samaritan laws, including any findings related to the potential effects of such laws; (2) describe the ONDCP's efforts to encourage enactment of such laws; and (3) provide a compilation of such Good Samaritan laws in effect in states. (Sec. 4) For purposes of the report, "opioid" means any drug, including heroin, having an addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability similar to morphine or being capable of conversion into a drug having such addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability. | 2023-01-11T13:31:34Z | |
| 114-hr-5063 | 114 | hr | 5063 | Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-04-26 | 2016-09-08 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] | VA | R | G000289 | 32 | Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill prohibits government officials from entering into or enforcing a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States that provides for a payment to any person or entity other than the United States. The bill provides exceptions to allow payments that remedy actual harm (including to the environment) caused by the party making the payment or that constitute payment for services rendered in connection with the case. Government officials or agents who violate this prohibition may be removed from office or required to forfeit to the government any money they hold for such purposes to which they may otherwise be entitled. Federal agencies must report annually for seven years to the Congressional Budget Office about the parties, funding sources, and distribution of funds for their settlement agreements permitted by the exceptions in this bill. Agency inspectors general must report annually to Congress about any of their agency's settlement agreements that violate this bill. | 2023-01-11T13:31:34Z | |
| 114-hr-4899 | 114 | hr | 4899 | Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-04-12 | 2016-04-28 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] | GA | D | J000288 | 4 | Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 This bill amends the Federal Arbitration Act to invalidate arbitration agreements between parties in certain commercial contracts or transactions if they require arbitration of a claim for damages or injunctive relief brought by an individual or small business arising from the alleged violation of a federal or state statute, the U.S. Constitution, or a state constitution, unless the written agreement to arbitrate is entered into by both parties after the claim has arisen and pertains solely to an existing claim. The grounds upon which a contract with an arbitration agreement is revocable shall include federal or state statutes or court findings that prohibit an agreement to arbitrate if the agreement is unconscionable, invalid because there was no meeting of the minds, or otherwise unenforceable as a matter of contract law or public policy. A court, rather than an arbitrator, shall determine whether an arbitration agreement is enforceable. | 2023-01-11T13:31:39Z | |
| 114-s-2763 | 114 | s | 2763 | Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-04-07 | 2016-12-06 | By Senator Grassley from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 114-394. | Senate | Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] | TX | R | C001056 | 15 | Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 (Sec. 5) This bill allows civil claims or causes of action for the recovery of artwork or certain other property lost between January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1945, because of Nazi persecution to be commenced within six years after the claimant's actual discovery of: (1) the identity and location of the artwork or other property, and (2) a possessory interest in the artwork or property. Such statutory limitation period of six years after actual discovery preempts any other statutes of limitation or defenses relating to the passage of time. Preexisting claims known by a claimant before enactment of this bill shall be considered discovered on the date of this bill's enactment if they were barred before, or not barred on, the date of enactment. This bill applies to claims or actions that are: (1) pending on the date of this bill's enactment, including an action for which the time to file an appeal has not expired; or (2) filed after enactment but before 2027. But the bill does not apply to claims barred on the day before enactment of this bill if: (1) the claimant had knowledge on or after January 1, 1999, and (2) six years have passed from the date such claimant acquired such knowledge and during which time the claim was not barred by a statute of limitations. | 2023-01-11T13:31:26Z | |
| 114-hres-661 | 114 | hres | 661 | Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Senate should fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide full and fair consideration of the President's nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. | Law | 2016-03-23 | 2016-04-28 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] | MI | D | C000714 | 19 | Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Senate should: (1) fulfill its constitutional obligation by observing regular order and holding hearings to consider the President's nomination of Judge Garland to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court; and (2) after giving its full and fair consideration, vote on such nomination. | 2023-01-11T13:31:47Z | |
| 114-hr-4767 | 114 | hr | 4767 | State Secrets Protection Act | Law | 2016-03-16 | 2016-04-01 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. | House | Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] | NY | D | N000002 | 2 | State Secrets Protection Act This bill declares that the government has a privilege to refuse to give information and to prevent any person from giving information in civil actions in federal or state courts only if the government shows that public disclosure of the information that the government seeks to protect would be reasonably likely to cause significant harm to the national defense or the diplomatic relations of the United States. Courts must take steps, which may include in camera and ex parte hearings and other security procedures, to protect sensitive information that comes before them. The bill sets forth the court's authority regarding the participation of counsel, appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent an absent litigant's interests, and the disclosure of information when it presents a risk of harm. The bill also provides standards for the court to order the government to produce adequate or nonprivileged substitutes (redacted copies, summary of information, stipulation of facts) for privileged information. The government may: (1) assert the privilege in connection with any claim in a civil action to which it is a party, or (2) intervene in a civil action to which it is not a party in order to do so. Once the government has asserted the privilege, and before the court makes any determinations, the court shall: (1) undertake a preliminary review of the information in question, and (2) provide the government an opportunity to seek protective measures under this Act. The bill establishes procedures and a standard for assessing the privilege claim. If the court determines that the privilege is not validly asserted, the court must issue appropriate orders regarding the disclosure of the information to a nongovernmental party and its admission at trial, with the right to an interlocutory appeal for any such orders. The bill prohibits such disclosure or admission if the privilege is determined valid. Courts of appeal are provided jurisdiction of an appeal from a decision or order of a district co… | 2023-01-11T13:31:53Z | |
| 114-sres-374 | 114 | sres | 374 | A resolution relating to the death of Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. | Law | 2016-02-24 | 2016-02-25 | Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Yea-Nay Vote. 93 - 0. Record Vote Number: 26. (text: CR 2/24/2016 S1003) | Senate | Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY] | KY | R | M000355 | 99 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Acknowledges the lifetime of service of Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Commends his 29-year tenure on the Court and extends sympathy to his family and friends on his death. . | 2021-12-17T16:04:02Z | |
| 114-hres-615 | 114 | hres | 615 | Expressing support for the Senate regarding the importance of selecting a Supreme Court Justice, and urging the Senate to only consider a nominee who will uphold the integrity of the Constitution in judicial decisions. | Law | 2016-02-23 | 2016-02-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Forbes, J. Randy [R-VA-4] | VA | R | F000445 | 12 | Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the Senate in its constitutional duty to vet and approve any nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court put forward by the President. Urges that the Senate consider only a nominee who has demonstrated a faithful adherence to the limits placed on judicial power by the Constitution. | 2023-01-11T13:32:03Z | |
| 114-hres-620 | 114 | hres | 620 | Expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. | Law | 2016-02-23 | 2016-02-23 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. | House | Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-23] | CA | R | M001165 | 0 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Expresses the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. | 2023-01-11T13:32:03Z | |
| 114-hres-621 | 114 | hres | 621 | Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the future of the Supreme Court. | Law | 2016-02-23 | 2016-02-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31] | TX | R | C001051 | 1 | Expresses disapproval of the confirmation of any liberal Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court nominated by President Barack Obama. Urges the Senate to hold any such nomination until the American people have a chance to speak in the next presidential election. | 2023-01-11T13:32:03Z | |
| 114-hr-4502 | 114 | hr | 4502 | Pullman Act | Law | 2016-02-09 | 2016-02-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Black, Diane [R-TN-6] | TN | R | B001273 | 5 | Pullman Act This bill amends the federal judicial code to allow federal district courts, when a civil action involves a challenge to an unsettled and ambiguous question of state law on federal constitutional grounds, to: stay the action, pending resolution of the question of state law, if its resolution could avoid the need to reach or materially change the federal constitutional issue and there are adequate means under state law to resolve the unsettled state law question; and certify the question to the appropriate court of that state. Federal appeals courts shall have jurisdiction of appeals from federal district court interlocutory orders that refuse to stay such actions. | 2023-01-11T13:32:09Z | |
| 114-s-2506 | 114 | s | 2506 | Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-02-04 | 2016-02-04 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S672-673) | Senate | Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] | VT | D | L000174 | 17 | Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 This bill amends the Federal Arbitration Act to invalidate arbitration agreements between parties in certain commercial contracts or transactions if they require arbitration of a claim for damages or injunctive relief brought by an individual or small business arising from the alleged violation of a federal or state statute, the U.S. Constitution, or a state constitution, unless the written agreement to arbitrate is entered into by both parties after the claim has arisen and pertains solely to an existing claim. The grounds upon which a contract with an arbitration agreement is revocable shall include federal or state statutes or court findings that prohibit an agreement to arbitrate if the agreement is unconscionable, invalid because there was no meeting of the minds, or otherwise unenforceable as a matter of contract law or public policy. A court, rather than an arbitrator, shall determine whether an arbitration agreement is enforceable. | 2023-01-11T13:32:01Z | |
| 114-hr-4457 | 114 | hr | 4457 | Judicial Administration and Improvement Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-02-03 | 2016-02-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5] | AZ | R | S000018 | 4 | Judicial Administration and Improvement Act of 2016 This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into: (1) a new Ninth Circuit, to be composed of California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands; and (2) a newly established Twelfth Circuit, to be composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. The bill designates locations where the new circuits are to hold regular sessions. The bill distributes active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits. Circuit judges and senior circuit judges currently stationed in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, or Nevada may elect their circuit assignment. For each circuit judge in regular service who elects to be assigned to the new Ninth Circuit, the President shall appoint one additional circuit judge for the Twelfth Circuit. | 2023-01-11T13:32:11Z | |
| 114-s-2490 | 114 | s | 2490 | Judicial Administration and Improvement Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-02-03 | 2016-02-03 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] | AZ | R | F000444 | 1 | Judicial Administration and Improvement Act of 2016This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into: (1) a new Ninth Circuit, to be composed of California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands; and (2) a newly established Twelfth Circuit, to be composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. The bill designates locations where the new circuits are to hold regular sessions. The bill distributes active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits. Circuit judges and senior circuit judges currently stationed in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, or Nevada may elect their circuit assignment. For each circuit judge in regular service who elects to be assigned to the new Ninth Circuit, the President shall appoint one additional circuit judge for the Twelfth Circuit. | 2023-01-11T13:32:02Z | |
| 114-hr-4399 | 114 | hr | 4399 | Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act | Law | 2016-02-01 | 2016-02-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] | CA | D | S001150 | 59 | Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act This bill amends the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to repeal provisions that prohibit state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings from being brought against firearm or ammunition manufacturers, sellers, importers, dealers, or trade associations for criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by the person bringing the action or a third party. The bill lifts the immunity from legal process of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings, the contents of the database: (1) shall be subject to discovery and admissible as evidence; and (2) may be used, relied on, or disclosed in any manner. Testimony or other evidence may also be permitted based on that data. | 2023-01-11T13:32:13Z | |
| 114-s-2475 | 114 | s | 2475 | Federal Courts of Appeals Modernization Act | Law | 2016-02-01 | 2016-02-01 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] | AK | R | S001198 | 2 | Federal Courts of Appeals Modernization Act This bill establishes a Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals to: (1) study the present division of the U.S. courts of appeals, with particular references to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and (2) submit to the President and Congress recommendations for changes in circuit boundaries or structure for the expeditious and effective disposition of the caseload of such courts. The commission shall be composed of five members appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States. | 2023-01-11T13:32:02Z | |
| 114-s-2477 | 114 | s | 2477 | Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act | Law | 2016-02-01 | 2016-02-01 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] | MT | R | D000618 | 2 | Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into: (1) a new Ninth Circuit, to be composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and Northern Mariana Islands; and (2) a newly established Twelfth Circuit, to be composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The President must appoint five additional judges for the new Ninth Circuit and two additional temporary judges for the former Ninth Circuit. The bill designates the locations where the new circuits are to hold regular sessions. The Circuit Executive and the Clerk of the Court of the Twelfth Circuit shall be located in Phoenix, Arizona. The bill distributes active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits. Senior circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit may elect their circuit assignment. The bill authorizes the temporary assignment of circuit and district judges of the former Ninth Circuit between the new circuits. | 2023-01-11T13:32:02Z | |
| 114-s-2469 | 114 | s | 2469 | A bill to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. | Law | 2016-01-27 | 2016-01-27 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] | CT | D | B001277 | 14 | This bill amends the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to repeal provisions that prohibit state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings from being brought against firearm or ammunition manufacturers, sellers, importers, dealers, or trade associations for criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by the person bringing the action or a third party. | 2023-01-11T13:32:14Z | |
| 114-s-2448 | 114 | s | 2448 | Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2016 | Law | 2016-01-19 | 2016-01-19 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] | DE | D | C001088 | 2 | Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to: convert certain temporary bankruptcy judges to permanent bankruptcy judges and authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges in Delaware and Michigan; convert temporary bankruptcy judges to permanent bankruptcy judges in specified judicial districts in Florida, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Virginia; and authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges in the middle district of Florida. | 2023-01-11T13:32:14Z | |
| 114-hr-4282 | 114 | hr | 4282 | Catalyst Theory Restoration Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-12-17 | 2016-01-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17] | PA | D | C001090 | 0 | Catalyst Theory Restoration Act of 2015 This bill defines "prevailing party" for purposes of determining the meaning of provisions in federal laws, federal regulations, or any judicial or administrative rules that provide for recovery of attorney's fees to include a party whose pursuit of a nonfrivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought. The bill prohibits this Act from altering special eligibility criteria: (1) established for prevailing defendants, or (2) contained in statutes that expressly limit or qualify who may be considered a prevailing party for purposes of that statute. | 2023-01-11T13:32:26Z | |
| 114-hr-4225 | 114 | hr | 4225 | Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-12-10 | 2016-01-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] | MI | D | C000714 | 6 | Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal judicial code to: convert certain temporary bankruptcy judges to permanent bankruptcy judges and authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges in Delaware and Michigan; convert temporary bankruptcy judges to permanent bankruptcy judges in specified judicial districts in Florida, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Virginia; and authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges in the middle district of Florida. | 2023-01-11T13:32:28Z | |
| 114-s-2314 | 114 | s | 2314 | Temporary Judgeship Conversion Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-11-19 | 2015-11-19 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] | KS | R | M000934 | 6 | Temporary Judgeship Conversion Act of 2015 This bill converts certain temporary U.S. district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified U.S. judicial districts in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. | 2023-01-11T13:32:32Z | |
| 114-hr-3754 | 114 | hr | 3754 | Halting Government Overreach Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-10-09 | 2015-11-04 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8] | GA | R | S001189 | 0 | Halting Government Overreach Act of 2015 This bill removes exceptions that prohibit a prevailing party other than the United States from being awarded fees and expenses incurred in a civil action (other than a tort action) brought by or against the United States, or in an agency adjudicatory proceeding, if the position of the United States was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust. The fees and expenses may be awarded if the prevailing party has a direct and personal interest in the action because of an injury that gave rise to the action. The bill also removes requirements that make parties ineligible for such an award if their net worth exceeds a specified amount at the time the action was filed or the adjudication was initiated. Under the bill, parties may seek an award of fees and expenses regardless of their net worth. | 2023-01-11T13:29:39Z | |
| 114-hr-3723 | 114 | hr | 3723 | Eyes on the Courts Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-10-08 | 2015-11-03 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] | NY | D | N000002 | 7 | Eyes on the Courts Act of 2015 This bill requires the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court, including the Supreme Court, to permit court proceedings to be photographed, electronically recorded, broadcasted, televised, or streamed on the Internet to or for the public, unless the judge determines, upon a motion of a party or the judge, that it would constitute a violation of the due process rights of a party or is not in the interests of justice. The Judicial Conference may promulgate mandatory guidelines with respect to the management and administration of such photographing, recording, broadcasting, televising, or streaming. The presiding judge of each appellate court may promulgate rules and disciplinary measures for the courtroom use of any form of media or media equipment and the acquisition or distribution of any of the images or sounds obtained in the courtroom. | 2023-01-11T13:29:40Z | |
| 114-hres-465 | 114 | hres | 465 | Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the justices of the United States Supreme Court should make themselves subject to the existing and operative ethics guidelines set out in the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, or should promulgate their own code of conduct. | Law | 2015-10-06 | 2015-11-03 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] | DC | D | N000147 | 0 | Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Justices of the Supreme Court should make themselves subject to the existing and operative ethics guidelines set out in the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges or should promulgate their own ethical code. | 2023-01-11T13:29:35Z | |
| 114-hr-3624 | 114 | hr | 3624 | Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016 | Law | 2015-09-28 | 2016-02-29 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Buck, Ken [R-CO-4] | CO | R | B001297 | 0 | Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends procedures under which federal courts determine whether a case that was removed from a state court to a federal court on the basis of a diversity of citizenship among the parties may be remanded back to state court upon a motion opposed on fraudulent joinder grounds that: (1) one or more defendants are citizens of the same state as one or more plaintiffs, or (2) one or more defendants properly joined and served are citizens of the state in which the action was brought. Joinder of such a defendant is fraudulent if the court finds: actual fraud in the pleading of jurisdictional facts with respect to that defendant, state law would not plausibly impose liability on that defendant, state or federal law bars all claims in the complaint against that defendant, or no good faith intention to prosecute the action against that defendant or to seek a joint judgment including that defendant. In determining whether to grant or deny such a motion for remand, the court: (1) may permit pleadings to be amended; and (2) must consider the pleadings, affidavits, and other evidence submitted by the parties. A federal court finding that all such defendants have been fraudulently joined must: (1) dismiss without prejudice the claims against those defendants, and (2) deny the motion for remand. | 2023-01-11T13:29:50Z | |
| 114-hr-3607 | 114 | hr | 3607 | U.S. Territorial Federal Judges Improvement Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-09-24 | 2015-10-05 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Del. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large] | MP | D | S001177 | 2 | U.S. Territorial Federal Judges Improvement Act of 2015 This bill increases from 10 years to 15 years the term of office for judges of the district courts of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. | 2023-01-11T13:29:50Z | |
| 114-hr-3531 | 114 | hr | 3531 | No Exemptions for EPA Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-09-17 | 2015-10-27 | Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. | House | Rep. Westmoreland, Lynn A. [R-GA-3] | GA | R | W000796 | 21 | No Exemptions for EPA Act of 2015 This bill removes the government's discretionary function exemption from tort claims in connection with a response under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), thereby allowing claims against the Environmental Protection Agency for damages caused by its response at a hazardous waste cleanup site under CERCLA. | 2023-01-11T13:29:52Z | |
| 114-s-1962 | 114 | s | 1962 | A bill to authorize 2 additional district judgeships for the district of Colorado. | Law | 2015-08-05 | 2015-08-05 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] | CO | D | B001267 | 1 | This bill requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two additional district judges for the district of Colorado. | 2023-01-11T13:29:58Z | |
| 114-hr-3279 | 114 | hr | 3279 | Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act | Law | 2015-07-29 | 2015-12-01 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9] | GA | R | C001093 | 7 | Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Equal Access to Justice Act and the federal judicial code to require the Administrative Conference of the United States to report to Congress annually for a specified period on the amount of fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties other than the United States in certain administrative proceedings and civil action court cases (excluding tort cases) to which the United States is a party, including settlement agreements. The reports must: (1) describe the number, nature, and amount of the awards, the claims involved in the controversy, and any other relevant information that may aid Congress in evaluating the scope and impact of such awards; and (2) be made available to the public online. The Administrative Conference must create and maintain online searchable databases containing specified information with respect to each award, including the name of the agency involved, the name of each party to whom the award was made, the amount of the award, and the basis for finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. Agencies, including the Department of Justice, must provide the Administrative Conference all information requested to comply with such requirements. | 2023-01-11T13:29:29Z | |
| 114-hr-3304 | 114 | hr | 3304 | Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-07-29 | 2015-08-25 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. | House | Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17] | PA | D | C001090 | 37 | Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2015 Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to jurisdiction of courts in the United States over foreign manufacturers that import products into the United States. Directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (with respect to drugs, devices, cosmetics, and biological products), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (with respect to consumer products), and the Environmental Protection Agency (with respect to chemical substances, new chemical substances, and pesticides) to require foreign manufacturers and producers of such products (or components used to manufacture them), in excess of a minimum value or quantity, to establish a registered agent in the United States authorized to accept service of process on their behalf for the purpose of any state or federal regulatory proceeding or civil action in state or federal court. Deems a foreign manufacturer or producer of products covered under this Act that registers an agent to consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state or federal courts of the state in which the agent is located for the purpose of any civil or regulatory proceeding. Requires any person who imports into the United States a covered product manufactured or produced outside the United States to provide to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) a declaration that to the best of the person's knowledge, with respect to the importation of each covered product, the foreign manufacturer or producer of the product has registered an agent in the United States. Directs the CBP Commissioner to prescribe related regulations. Subjects an importer who fails to provide or files a false declaration to certain penalties. Requires the Department of Agriculture and the FDA jointly to study the feasibility and advisability of requiring foreign producers of food distributed in commerce to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of such producers for the purpose of all civil and regulato… | 2023-01-11T13:30:22Z | |
| 114-hr-3345 | 114 | hr | 3345 | Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-07-29 | 2015-07-29 | Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. | House | Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4] | AZ | R | G000565 | 6 | Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015 This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand eligibility for restitution relating to atmospheric nuclear testing to individuals who were present, during the periods of testing, in any part of Clark County, Nevada, or any part of any county in Arizona that has a part north of the Grand Canyon. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the tax deduction for charitable contributions that are required to purchase a ticket to a college sporting event. | 2023-01-11T13:30:20Z | |
| 114-hr-3394 | 114 | hr | 3394 | CAPTIVE Act | Law | 2015-07-29 | 2016-07-13 | Received in the Senate. | House | Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8] | FL | R | P000599 | 6 | Clarifying Amendment to Provide Terrorism Victims Equity Act or the CAPTIVE Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to allow a person's court-awarded judgment against a terrorist party that is based on an act of terrorism to be satisfied with assets that the United States has seized or frozen from that terrorist party under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Under current law, assets seized or frozen under the Trading with the Enemy Act or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are the only assets seized or frozen by the United States that may be used to satisfy such a person's judgment against a terrorist party. The bill also narrows the categories of "persons" who may satisfy their judgments against terrorist parties with such seized or frozen assets to natural persons who, at the time the act of terrorism was committed upon which the judgment was obtained, were: U.S. nationals; members of the U.S. Armed Forces; or otherwise employees of the federal government, or of a federal contractor, acting within the scope of employment. If a person described is deceased, the personal representative of the estate of that deceased person shall count as the person. (Sec. 3) The bill applies retroactively to judgments entered before its enactment. | 2023-01-11T13:30:18Z | |
| 114-s-1895 | 114 | s | 1895 | Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-07-29 | 2015-07-29 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6143) | Senate | Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] | AZ | R | M000303 | 1 | Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015 This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand eligibility for restitution relating to atmospheric nuclear testing to individuals who were present, during the periods of testing, in any part of Clark County, Nevada, or any part of any county in Arizona that has a part north of the Grand Canyon. | 2023-01-11T13:30:01Z | |
| 114-hconres-63 | 114 | hconres | 63 | To express the sense of the Congress that any Executive order that infringes on the powers and duties of the Congress under article I, section 8 of the Constitution, or that would require the expenditure of Federal funds not specifically appropriated for the purpose of the Executive order, is advisory only and has no force or effect unless enacted as law. | Law | 2015-07-15 | 2015-07-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] | KS | R | J000290 | 1 | Expresses the sense of Congress that any executive order issued by the President before, on, or after the approval of this resolution that infringes on the powers and duties of Congress under article I, section 8 of the Constitution, or that would require the expenditure of federal funds not specifically appropriated for such executive order, is advisory only and has no force or effect unless enacted as law. | 2023-01-11T13:30:36Z | |
| 114-hr-3052 | 114 | hr | 3052 | To amend title 28, United States Code, to prevent the misuse of foreign law in Federal courts, and for other purposes. | Law | 2015-07-14 | 2015-12-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Black, Diane [R-TN-6] | TN | R | B001273 | 13 | This bill amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from deciding any issue on the authority of foreign law, except to the extent that the Constitution or an Act of Congress requires the consideration of that foreign law. | 2023-01-11T13:30:30Z | |
| 114-hr-2986 | 114 | hr | 2986 | Justice for Victims of Confidential Informant Crime Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-07-08 | 2015-07-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] | MA | D | L000562 | 0 | Justice for Victims of Confidential Informant Crime Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to extend to three years and six months the period within which a tort claim against the United States must be presented in writing to a federal agency when the claim arises out of a government employee's conduct with respect to the criminal misconduct of a government informant. (Current law bars all tort claims against the United States that are not presented within two years after the claim accrues.) Applies the amendment retroactively to any such claim that: (1) accrued on or after May 1, 1981; and (2) in the case of a claim accrued before the date of enactment of this Act, is presented within one year after such date. Prohibits the government from asserting a defense or a bar, based on the doctrine of res judicata or collateral estoppel, to a claim that accrued before enactment of this Act and to which this Act applies. | 2023-01-11T13:30:33Z | |
| 114-hr-2919 | 114 | hr | 2919 | To authorize 2 additional district judgeships for the district of Colorado. | Law | 2015-06-25 | 2015-07-09 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] | CO | D | D000197 | 6 | Requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two additional district judges for the district of Colorado. | 2023-01-11T13:30:49Z | |
| 114-s-1684 | 114 | s | 1684 | Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-06-25 | 2015-06-25 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL] | IL | R | K000360 | 3 | Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to expand liability protections to volunteer nonprofit organizations for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. Prohibits such liability protections from applying if the organization: (1) would be liable under laws governing the direct or vicarious liability of organizations, and (2) expressly authorized the specific conduct constituting the act or omission. Bars such an organization from liability for harm caused by the organization, or a volunteer acting on its behalf, if the act or omission was at the request of, or pursuant to an authorization by, the federal government, a state government, or another governmental subdivision, provided that: (1) the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune from suit or from liability in damages if the entity had engaged in the act or omission itself or through an employee, agent, or independent contractor; or (2) any governmental employee, agent, or contractor who had engaged in the act or omission on behalf of the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune from suit or from liability in damages by virtue of immunity extended to individual governmental actors. Prohibits punitive damages from being awarded against a volunteer nonprofit organization for the actions of a volunteer within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities to the organization unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the organization itself expressly authorized the volunteer's action with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed. Sets forth factors to be considered to determine whether a nonprofit organization is presumed to be a volunteer nonprofit organization. | 2023-01-11T13:30:37Z | |
| 114-hr-2828 | 114 | hr | 2828 | Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-06-18 | 2015-07-01 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] | CA | D | D000598 | 3 | Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to allow for review by writ of certiorari of certain cases denied relief or review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Declares that the time for application for such a writ shall be as prescribed by rules of the Supreme Court. | 2023-01-11T13:30:53Z | |
| 114-hr-2830 | 114 | hr | 2830 | To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 2, United States Code. | Law | 2015-06-18 | 2016-09-07 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] | VA | R | G000289 | 0 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) (Sec. 1) This bill makes technical amendments to titles 2, 5, 39, 42, and 44 of the U.S. Code to update statutory references to reflect the new locations of provisions in title 2 (The Congress), which was reorganized by an editorial reclassification. | 2023-01-11T13:30:53Z | |
| 114-s-1614 | 114 | s | 1614 | Court-Appointed Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act | Law | 2015-06-18 | 2015-06-18 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] | MN | D | K000367 | 1 | Court-Appointed Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act Amends title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services and Elder Justice) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to the highest courts of states to conduct demonstration programs that: (1) assess adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, including the appointment and the monitoring of the performance of court-appointed guardians and conservators; and (2) implement changes deemed necessary as a result of the assessments, such as requiring background checks for all potential guardians and conservators, and establishing systems that enable electronic filing and review of the annual accountings and other required conservatorship and guardianship filings. Requires the highest court of a state awarded such a grant to collaborate with the state's own Unit on Aging and its Adult Protective Services agency in conducting the demonstration program. | 2023-01-11T13:30:40Z | |
| 114-s-1600 | 114 | s | 1600 | Judicial Redress Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-06-17 | 2015-06-17 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] | CT | D | M001169 | 1 | Judicial Redress Act of 2015 Authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to designate foreign countries or regional economic integration organizations whose natural citizens may bring civil actions under the Privacy Act of 1974 against certain U.S. government agencies for purposes of accessing, amending, or redressing unlawful disclosures of records maintained by an agency. Allows DOJ, with the concurrence of the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security, to designate countries or organizations whose citizens may pursue such civil remedies if the person's country or organization has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information with the United States to prevent, investigate, detect, or prosecute criminal offenses. Exempts DOJ's designations from judicial or administrative review. Grants the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising under this Act. | 2023-01-11T13:30:40Z | |
| 114-hr-2664 | 114 | hr | 2664 | Structured Settlement Claimants Rights Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-06-04 | 2015-06-26 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] | NY | D | H001038 | 1 | Structured Settlement Claimants Rights Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to declare that a claimant in any civil action before a federal court shall have the right to retain a structured settlement broker to act on behalf of that claimant for purposes of negotiating a schedule of payments or other terms of payment previously agreed to be paid by or on behalf of the defendant in satisfaction of a judgment against that defendant or in accordance with the terms of a settlement. Requires that a party to an administrative proceeding have the same right to retain such a structured settlement broker for negotiations with other parties. Directs: (1) the court or the agency in an administrative proceeding to inform the claimant of this right at the appropriate time, and (2) the defendant to provide timely notice of any current or previous professional relationship between the defendant and the broker. | 2023-01-11T13:30:59Z | |
| 114-s-1418 | 114 | s | 1418 | Judicial Transparency and Ethics Enhancement Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-05-21 | 2015-05-21 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3240-3241; text of measure as introduced: CR S3241) | Senate | Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] | IA | R | G000386 | 0 | Judicial Transparency and Ethics Enhancement Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to establish the Office of Inspector General for the Judicial Branch, to be headed by an inspector general appointed by the Chief Justice. Sets a term of four years, which may be extended by additional reappointments. Authorizes the Chief Justice to remove an inspector general from office. Requires the office to: (1) conduct investigations of alleged misconduct in the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court; (2) conduct and supervise audits and investigations; and (3) prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse. Provides for whistleblower protection. | 2023-01-11T13:31:05Z | |
| 114-hr-2454 | 114 | hr | 2454 | To provide for the public disclosure of information regarding surveillance activities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. | Law | 2015-05-19 | 2015-06-16 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. | House | Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-4] | PA | R | P000605 | 0 | Requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly disclose, in a manner consistent with national security, any decision of a court established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) that surveillance activities conducted by the U.S. government have violated a particular U.S. law or constitutional provision. Requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to provide information on surveillance activities to Congress, including information regarding: (1) whether the National Security Agency (NSA) or any other element of the intelligence community has ever collected, or made plans to collect, the cell-site location information of a large number of U.S. persons with no known connection to suspicious activity; (2) the type and amount of evidence the DNI believes is required to permit the collection of cell-site information for intelligence purposes; (3) whether NSA or any other element of the intelligence community has ever conducted a warrantless search of a collection of communications in an effort to find the communications of a particular U.S. person (other than a corporation) and, if so, the number of such searches or an estimate of such number; (4) when the U.S. government first began relying on authorities under FISA to justify the collection of records with no known connection to suspicious activity; (5) whether representations made by DOJ to the Supreme Court in the case of Clapper v. Amnesty International USA accurately described the use of authorities under FISA by the government, which of such representations, if any, were inaccurate, and how such representations have been corrected; and (6) FISA court opinions that identified violations of the law, the Constitution, or FISA court orders relating to the collection of information under FISA. Directs the Government Accountability Office, in consultation with the U.S. International Trade Commission, to conduct an assessment of the economic impact, including the impact on the ability of U.S. communication service pro… | 2023-01-11T13:31:20Z | |
| 114-hr-2329 | 114 | hr | 2329 | Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act | Law | 2015-05-14 | 2015-07-08 | Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote. | House | Rep. DeSantis, Ron [R-FL-6] | FL | R | D000621 | 2 | Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act Amends the federal judicial code with respect to the jurisdiction of federal courts over civil actions pending in, or on appeal from, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC) when the plaintiff also has pending in another federal court a civil action that includes a claim against the United States (or an agency or officer of the United States) arising from the same set of operative facts. Requires the court presiding over the action that was filed later to stay the later action until the action that was filed first is no longer pending. (Currently, the USCFC is prohibited from having jurisdiction of any claim in which the plaintiff has pending in any other court any suit or process against the United States or any person who was acting or professing to act under the authority of the United States.) Provides an exception to the requirement to stay the later action if: (1) the parties in each of the actions agree; or (2) in exceptional circumstances the court finds, upon the motion of any party, that termination or modification of the stay is necessary to preserve material evidence or to prevent irreparable prejudice to that party. Provides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit with jurisdiction of an appeal from an interlocutory order terminating or modifying such a stay. | 2023-01-11T13:27:12Z | |
| 114-hr-2336 | 114 | hr | 2336 | Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-05-14 | 2015-06-26 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] | NY | D | N000002 | 1 | Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit a court, in any civil action in which the pleadings state facts relevant to the protection of public health or safety, from entering an order restricting the disclosure of information obtained through discovery, approving a settlement agreement that would restrict such disclosure, or restricting access to court records, unless in connection with such order the court has first made independent findings of fact that: (1) the order would not restrict the disclosure of information relevant to the protection of public health or safety; or (2) the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. Prohibits a court from: (1) enforcing any provision of an agreement between or among parties to the civil action, or an order entered under this Act, that restricts a party from disclosing information to any federal or state agency with authority to enforce laws regulating an activity relating to such information; or (2) enforcing any provision of a settlement agreement between or among parties to such civil action that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement (excluding any money paid) that involve matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety, or from discussing matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety involved in such civil action. Excepts from this enforcement prohibition (thus allowing enforcement of) a settlement agreement provision about which the court finds that the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential public health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information in question, and the reques… | 2023-01-11T13:27:12Z | |
| 114-s-1353 | 114 | s | 1353 | Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act | Law | 2015-05-14 | 2015-05-14 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] | MS | R | W000437 | 3 | Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act Amends the federal judicial code with respect to the jurisdiction of federal courts over civil actions pending in, or on appeal from, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC) when the plaintiff also has pending in another federal court a civil action that includes a claim against the United States (or an agency or officer of the United States) arising from the same set of operative facts. Requires the court presiding over the action that was filed later to stay the later action until the action that was filed first is no longer pending. (Currently, the USCFC is prohibited from having jurisdiction of any claim in which the plaintiff has pending in any other court any suit or process against the United States or any person who was acting or professing to act under the authority of the United States.) Provides an exception to the requirement to stay the later action if: (1) the parties in each of the actions agree; or (2) in exceptional circumstances the court finds, upon the motion of any party, that termination or modification of the stay is necessary to preserve material evidence or to prevent irreparable prejudice to that party. Provides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit with jurisdiction of an appeal from an interlocutory order terminating or modifying such a stay. | 2023-01-11T13:31:07Z | |
| 114-hr-2290 | 114 | hr | 2290 | Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-05-13 | 2015-06-01 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] | OH | R | C000266 | 58 | Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to expand liability protections to volunteer nonprofit organizations for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. Prohibits such liability protections from applying if the organization: (1) would be liable under laws governing the direct or vicarious liability of organizations, and (2) expressly authorized the specific conduct constituting the act or omission. Bars such an organization from liability for harm caused by the organization, or a volunteer acting on its behalf, if the act or omission was at the request of, or pursuant to an authorization by, a state, the United States, or another governmental subdivision, provided that: (1) the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages if it had engaged in the acts or omissions itself or through employees or independent contractors; or (2) the governmental employee, agent, or contractor would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages by virtue of immunity extended to individual governmental actors. Prohibits punitive damages from being awarded against a volunteer nonprofit organization for the actions of a volunteer within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities to the organization unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the organization itself expressly authorized the volunteer's action with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed. | 2023-01-11T13:27:14Z | |
| 114-hr-2304 | 114 | hr | 2304 | SPEAK FREE Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-05-13 | 2015-06-01 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27] | TX | R | F000460 | 32 | Securing Participation, Engagement, and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforts Act of 2015 or the SPEAK FREE Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. Defines "matter of public concern" as an issue related to: (1) health or safety; (2) environmental, economic, or community well-being; (3) the government; (4) a public official or public figure; or (5) a good, product, or service in the marketplace. Requires courts to grant such a special motion to dismiss if the party filing the motion makes a prima facie showing that the claim asserted against them is a SLAPP suit, unless the responding party demonstrates that the claim is likely to succeed on the merits. Provides exceptions prohibiting courts from granting such a special motion to dismiss if the claim concerns: a government enforcement action, a business making representations of fact in commercial speech to consumers about its own or a business competitor's goods or services, or a public interest claim on behalf of the general public. Allows dismissal of private suits, notwithstanding such commercial speech and public interest exceptions, if the claim is against: a person or entity engaged in activities to disseminate or express ideas to the public in a book or academic journal; any person or entity based upon statements or conduct concerning the creation, dissemination, exhibition, advertisement, or other promotion of journalistic, consumer commentary, dramatic, literary, musical, political, or artistic works, including motion pictures, television programs, or articles published online or in a newspaper or magazine of general circulation; or a n… | 2023-01-11T13:27:13Z | |
| 114-hr-2087 | 114 | hr | 2087 | Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-29 | 2015-06-26 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] | GA | D | J000288 | 86 | Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy. | 2023-01-11T13:27:33Z | |
| 114-s-1133 | 114 | s | 1133 | Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-29 | 2015-04-29 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] | MN | D | F000457 | 24 | Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy. | 2023-01-11T13:27:18Z | |
| 114-s-1113 | 114 | s | 1113 | A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. | Law | 2015-04-28 | 2015-04-28 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] | LA | R | V000127 | 0 | Amends the federal judicial code to revise the process for remanding civil actions involving common questions of fact pending in different districts that the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation transfers to a single district for consolidated pretrial proceedings. Requires each action, upon a motion of a plaintiff, to be remanded back to the district court from which it was transferred if the panel does not remand the action at or before the conclusion of such pretrial proceedings within five years after the action is transferred. Directs the district court receiving a remanded action to then schedule the completion of discovery and a trial date in accordance with the civil justice expense and delay reduction plan implemented by the court. Makes this Act applicable to any civil action pending in a transferee district court on or after August 1, 2010. | 2023-01-11T13:27:25Z | |
| 114-s-1072 | 114 | s | 1072 | Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-23 | 2015-04-23 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] | CT | D | M001169 | 7 | Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2015 Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate. | 2023-01-11T13:27:26Z | |
| 114-s-1080 | 114 | s | 1080 | Protect Marriage from the Courts Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-23 | 2015-04-23 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] | TX | R | C001098 | 0 | Protect Marriage from the Courts Act of 2015 Prohibits federal courts from having jurisdiction to adjudicate or enforce any claim pertaining to the validity, under the U.S. Constitution, of a state law or a state administrative or judicial decision that: (1) defines marriage as limited to the union of one man and one woman, or (2) refuses state recognition of, or allows the state to refuse recognition of, same-sex marriages performed and licensed in other states. Allows final judgments entered by federal courts before the enactment of this Act to remain binding on the parties to the case, but persons who are not a party to such a case are not obligated to comply with such decisions. | 2023-01-11T13:27:26Z | |
| 114-sjres-13 | 114 | sjres | 13 | A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to applying laws equally to the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government. | Law | 2015-04-23 | 2015-04-23 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] | KY | R | P000603 | 0 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibits Congress from making any law that is applicable to a U.S. citizen but not equally applicable to: (1) Congress; (2) the executive branch, including the President, Vice President, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and all other officers of the United States, including those provided for under the Constitution and by law; and (3) Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of inferior courts. | 2023-01-11T13:27:22Z | |
| 114-hr-1927 | 114 | hr | 1927 | Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 | Law | 2015-04-22 | 2016-01-11 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] | VA | R | G000289 | 1 | Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class seeking monetary relief for personal injury or economic loss unless the party seeking to maintain such a class action affirmatively demonstrates that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and scope as the injury of the named class representatives. A court's certification of such a class must include a determination, based on a rigorous analysis of the evidence presented, that the requirements of this Act have been satisfied. (Sec. 3) The bill also amends federal bankruptcy law concerning a trust formed under a reorganization plan following the discharge in bankruptcy of a debtor corporation in order to assume the debtor's liability with respect to claims seeking recovery for personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage allegedly caused by the presence of, or exposure to, asbestos or asbestos-containing products. Such a trust shall file with the bankruptcy court quarterly reports, available on the public docket, which describe each demand the trust has received from a claimant and the basis for any payment made to that claimant (excluding any confidential medical record or the claimant's full Social Security number). Upon written request, and subject to payment (demanded at the option of the trust) for any reasonable cost incurred by the trust to comply with such request, such a trust shall provide any information related to payment from, and demands for payment from, the trust to any party to any action in law or equity concerning liability for asbestos exposure. | 2023-01-11T13:27:38Z | |
| 114-hr-1935 | 114 | hr | 1935 | Restoring the 10th Amendment Act | Law | 2015-04-22 | 2015-05-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. | House | Rep. Culberson, John Abney [R-TX-7] | TX | R | C001048 | 8 | Restoring the 10th Amendment Act Authorizes a designated state official to submit to the head of a federal agency proposing a rule, during the period when the proposed rule is open for public comment, a legal brief challenging the constitutionality of the rule under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. Directs the agency head: (1) to notify the designated official of each state within 15 days after such a brief was submitted; (2) to post prominently on the front page of the agency's website a link to the brief; and (3) within 15 days after posting such link, to certify in writing that such rulemaking does not violate the Tenth Amendment and post the certification prominently on the agency's website next to the briefs pertaining to the rule, unless the agency determines not to finalize such proposed rule. Authorizes a designated state official, at any time after an agency head posts such a certification, to commence a civil action against the agency on the grounds that the rule violates the Tenth Amendment. Permits such state official, in addition to any other venue or jurisdiction provided by law, to bring such action in the U.S. district court for the district in which the official's place of business is located. Directs the appropriate U.S. court of appeals, upon the filing of a notice by a designated state official, to grant expedited review of a decision by the district court in such an action. | 2023-01-11T13:27:38Z | |
| 114-hr-1943 | 114 | hr | 1943 | Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-22 | 2015-05-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY-25] | NY | D | S000480 | 129 | Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2015 Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate. | 2023-01-11T13:27:38Z | |
| 114-hr-1968 | 114 | hr | 1968 | Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-04-22 | 2015-05-15 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4] | IA | R | K000362 | 10 | Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to deny federal courts jurisdiction to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation, or the validity under the Constitution, of: (1) any type of marriage, (2) the provision of the Defense of Marriage Act declaring that no state shall be required to give effect to any marriage between persons of the same sex under the laws of any other state, or (3) this Act. Prohibits federal funds from being used for: (1) litigation in federal courts on such questions, or (2) enforcement of federal court orders or judgments on such questions. | 2023-01-11T13:27:37Z | |
| 114-s-1045 | 114 | s | 1045 | Restoring the 10th Amendment Act | Law | 2015-04-22 | 2015-04-22 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] | MS | R | W000437 | 8 | Restoring the 10th Amendment Act Authorizes a designated state official to submit to the head of a federal agency proposing a rule, during the period when the proposed rule is open for public comment, a legal brief challenging the constitutionality of the rule under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. Directs the agency head: (1) to notify the designated official of each state within 15 days after such a brief was submitted; (2) to post prominently on the front page of the agency's website a link to the brief; and (3) within 15 days after posting such link, to certify in writing that such rulemaking does not violate the Tenth Amendment and post the certification prominently on the agency's website next to the briefs pertaining to the rule, unless the agency determines not to finalize such proposed rule. Authorizes a designated state official, at any time after an agency head posts such a certification, to commence a civil action against the agency on the grounds that the rule violates the Tenth Amendment. Permits such state official, in addition to any other venue or jurisdiction provided by law, to bring such action in the U.S. district court for the district in which the official's place of business is located. Directs the appropriate U.S. court of appeals, upon the filing of a notice by a designated state official, to grant expedited review of a decision by the district court in such an action. | 2023-01-11T13:27:27Z | |
| 114-hr-1627 | 114 | hr | 1627 | No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act | Law | 2015-03-25 | 2015-04-29 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] | CA | R | I000056 | 17 | No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (under current law, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated. | 2023-01-11T13:28:01Z | |
| 114-hr-1566 | 114 | hr | 1566 | Local Courthouse Safety Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-03-24 | 2015-04-21 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. | House | Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2] | TX | R | P000592 | 8 | Local Courthouse Safety Act of 2015 Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to permit the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to carry out a training and technical assistance program to teach employees of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies how to anticipate, survive, and respond to violent encounters during the course of their duties, including duties relating to security at state, county, and tribal courthouses. Amends the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 to require the State Justice Institute (a private nonprofit organization established to improve judicial administration in state courts) to include the improvement of the safety and security of state and local courts as a factor in the national assistance program under which it provides funding to state courts and related national and nonprofit organizations. Requires state or local courts that do not have magnetometers available for use to use grant matching funds to acquire magnetometers. Directs the General Services Administration to ensure that state or local courthouses having less security equipment than such courthouses require have an opportunity to request surplus security equipment (metal detectors, wands, baggage screening devices) before such equipment is made available to any other individual or entity. Requires that priority be given to courthouses that have no security equipment. | 2023-01-11T13:28:03Z | |
| 114-hr-1428 | 114 | hr | 1428 | Judicial Redress Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-03-18 | 2016-02-24 | Became Public Law No: 114-126. | House | Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] | WI | R | S000244 | 3 | (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on February 1, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Judicial Redress Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to designate foreign countries or regional economic integration organizations whose natural citizens may bring civil actions under the Privacy Act of 1974 against certain U.S. government agencies for purposes of accessing, amending, or redressing unlawful disclosures of records transferred from a foreign country to the United States to prevent, investigate, detect, or prosecute criminal offenses. The citizens of such countries or organizations may bring a civil action against: (1) U.S. agencies that intentionally or willfully violate conditions for disclosing records without the consent of the individual to whom the record pertains; and (2) U.S. agencies designated by DOJ, with the concurrence of the agency, that refuse an individual's request to review or amend his or her records. DOJ, with the concurrence of the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security, may designate countries or organizations whose citizens may pursue such civil remedies if the person's country or organization: (1) has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information with the United States, as provided for in an agreement with the United States or as determined by DOJ; (2) permits the transfer of personal data for commercial purposes between its territory and the United States; and (3) has DOJ-certified data transfer policies that do not impede U.S. national security interests. A country's designation may be revoked if it: (1) is not complying with a privacy protection agreement, (2) no longer has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information, (3) fails to meet requirements for transfers of personal data for commercial purposes, (4) no longer meets the DOJ's transfer policy certification requirements, or (5) impedes the transfer of infor… | 2023-04-24T20:39:42Z | |
| 114-s-780 | 114 | s | 780 | Cameras in the Courtroom Act | Law | 2015-03-18 | 2015-03-18 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1631) | Senate | Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] | IL | D | D000563 | 5 | Cameras in the Courtroom Act Requires the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless it decides by majority vote that allowing such coverage in a particular case would violate the due process rights of any of the parties involved. | 2023-01-11T13:27:50Z | |
| 114-s-783 | 114 | s | 783 | Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-03-18 | 2015-03-18 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1631; text of measure as introduced: CR S1631-1632) | Senate | Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] | IA | R | G000386 | 9 | Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2015 Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request. Allows a presiding judge to obscure the face and voice of an individual if good cause is shown that photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising such features would threaten the individual's safety, the court's security, the integrity of future or ongoing law enforcement operations, or the interest of justice. Prohibits a presiding judge from permitting the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising of any juror in a trial proceeding, or of the jury selection process. Terminates a district court's authority under this Act three years after enactment of this Act. Requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate mandatory guidelines which a presiding judge must follow for obscuring certain vulnerable witnesses. Prohibits any audio pickup or broadcast of conferences which occur in a court proceeding between attorneys and their clients, co-counsel of a client, adverse counsel, or counsel and the presiding judge, if the conferences are not part of the official record of the proceedings. | 2023-01-11T13:27:50Z | |
| 114-s-757 | 114 | s | 757 | No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act | Law | 2015-03-17 | 2015-03-17 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] | FL | D | N000032 | 4 | No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (under current law, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated. | 2023-01-11T13:27:51Z | |
| 114-hr-1199 | 114 | hr | 1199 | Innocent Sellers Fairness Act | Law | 2015-03-02 | 2015-03-31 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27] | TX | R | F000460 | 16 | Innocent Sellers Fairness Act Exempts a lawful seller from liability for personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property arising out of an accident or transaction involving a seller's products, unless the claimant proves one or more of the following activities by the seller: the seller was the manufacturer or participated in the design or installation of the product; the seller altered, modified, or expressly warranted the product in a manner not authorized by the manufacturer; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product as a result of a recall from the manufacturer or governmental entity authorized to make such recall or actual inspection at the time the seller sold the product to the claimant; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product at the time the seller supplied the product; the seller intentionally altered or modified a product warranty, warning, or instruction from the manufacturer in a way not authorized by the manufacturer; or the seller knowingly made a false representation about an aspect of the product not authorized by the manufacturer. Limits the seller's liability to the personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property directly caused by such activity where a claimant proves one or more of such activities was negligent. | 2023-01-11T13:28:15Z | |
| 114-hjres-34 | 114 | hjres | 34 | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States allowing the States to call a limited convention solely for the purposes of considering whether to propose a specific amendment to the Constitution. | Law | 2015-02-13 | 2015-03-17 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Culberson, John Abney [R-TX-7] | TX | R | C001048 | 1 | Constitutional Amendment Requires Congress, on application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, each of which contains an identical amendment to the Constitution, to call a convention solely to decide whether to propose that specific amendment to the states. | 2023-01-11T13:28:43Z | |
| 114-hr-917 | 114 | hr | 917 | Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-02-12 | 2015-03-16 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. | House | Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4] | IA | R | K000362 | 3 | Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2015 Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court (including the Supreme Court) or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides, except when such action would constitute a violation of the due process rights of any party. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable for purposes of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising the witness; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of the right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference to promulgate mandatory guidelines with respect to the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act. Terminates a district court's authority under this Act three years after enactment of this Act. | 2023-01-11T13:28:29Z | |
| 114-hr-864 | 114 | hr | 864 | Juror Non-Discrimination Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-02-11 | 2015-03-16 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] | CA | D | D000598 | 41 | Juror Non-Discrimination Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit the exclusion of citizens from service as a grand or petit juror in U.S. district courts or the Court of International Trade on account of sexual orientation or gender identity (thereby expanding the current prohibition on exclusion on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status). | 2023-01-11T13:28:31Z | |
| 114-hr-889 | 114 | hr | 889 | Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act | Law | 2015-02-11 | 2015-06-10 | Received in the Senate. | House | Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] | OH | R | C000266 | 3 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.) Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (Sec. 2) Amends the federal judicial code with respect to denial of a foreign state's sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. or state courts in commercial activity cases where rights in property taken in violation of international law are in issue and that property, or any property exchanged for it, is: (1) present in the United States in connection with a commercial activity carried on by the foreign state in the United States, or (2) owned by an agency or instrumentality of the foreign state and that agency or instrumentality is engaged in a commercial activity in the United States. Prohibits from being excluded from jurisdictional immunity as a commercial activity (and thereby provides immunity for) any activity in the United States of a foreign state, or of any carrier, associated with a temporary exhibition or display, if: (1) the work of art or other object of cultural significance is imported into the United States from any foreign country pursuant to an agreement for its temporary exhibition or display between a foreign state that is its owner or custodian and the United States or U.S. cultural or educational institutions, and (2) the President has determined that such work is culturally significant and its temporary exhibition or display is in the national interest. Denies immunity in cases concerning rights in property taken in violation of international law in which: (1) the action is based upon a claim that the work was taken between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, by the government of Germany or any government in Europe occupied, assisted, or allied by the German government; (2) the court determines that the activity associated with the exhibition or display is commercial; and (3) that determination is necessary for the court to exercise jurisdiction over the foreign state. | 2023-01-11T13:28:30Z | |
| 114-s-447 | 114 | s | 447 | Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-02-11 | 2015-02-11 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] | NH | D | S001181 | 4 | Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection Act of 2015 or the Jury ACCESS Act Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit the exclusion of citizens from service as a grand or petit juror in U.S. district courts or the Court of International Trade on account of sexual orientation or gender identity (thereby expanding the current prohibition on exclusion on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status). | 2023-01-11T13:28:21Z | |
| 114-hr-758 | 114 | hr | 758 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-02-05 | 2015-09-21 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | House | Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] | TX | R | S000583 | 6 | (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.) Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence. | 2023-01-11T13:28:34Z | |
| 114-s-401 | 114 | s | 401 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-02-05 | 2015-02-05 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S837) | Senate | Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] | IA | R | G000386 | 1 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 Amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence. | 2023-01-11T13:27:19Z | |
| 114-s-360 | 114 | s | 360 | A bill to authorize an additional district judgeship for the district of Idaho. | Law | 2015-02-04 | 2015-02-04 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | Senate | Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] | ID | R | C000880 | 1 | Requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, one additional district judge for the district of Idaho. | 2023-01-11T13:28:24Z | |
| 114-hr-510 | 114 | hr | 510 | Defense of Property Rights Act | Law | 2015-01-22 | 2015-02-19 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Reed, Tom [R-NY-23] | NY | R | R000585 | 8 | Defense of Property Rights Act Prohibits federal or state agencies from taking private property in whole or in part (including by physical invasion, regulation, exaction, or condition) except for public purpose and with just compensation to the property owner. Requires a property owner to receive just compensation if, as a consequence of an agency's decision, the property has been physically invaded or taken without the owner's consent in an action that: does not substantially advance the stated governmental interest; exacts the owner's lawful right to use the property, or a portion of the property, as a condition for an agency's action (including the granting of a permit, license, or variance) without a rough proportionality between the stated need for the property and the impact of the proposed use; deprives the owner, either temporarily or permanently, of substantially all economically beneficial or productive use of the property, or of a part of the property, without a showing that the deprivation of value inheres in the title; diminishes the property's fair market value by at least 20% or $20,000; or constitutes any other taking within the meaning of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Includes an agency's decision that interferes with an owner's investment-backed expectations to water rights or to rents, issues, or profits of land (including minerals, timber, fodder, crops, oil and gas, coal, or geothermal energy) among the categories of actions that may require payment of just compensation. Defines "just compensation" to include the property's fair market value, business losses, and compounded interest from the date of the taking until the agency's payment. Allows adversely affected property owners to challenge agency actions in either a U.S. district court or the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC). Provides persons adversely affected by an agency action with standing to challenge or seek judicial review. Amends the federal judicial code to allow the USCFC to: (1) render judgment upon a cla… | 2023-01-11T13:29:02Z | |
| 114-hr-384 | 114 | hr | 384 | Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act | Law | 2015-01-14 | 2015-02-05 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY-At Large] | WY | R | L000571 | 1 | Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act Amends the Equal Access to Justice Act and the federal judicial code to require the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States to report to Congress annually on the amount of fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties other than the United States in certain administrative proceedings and civil action court cases (excluding tort cases) to which the United States is a party, including settlement agreements. Requires that such reports: (1) describe the number, nature, and amount of the awards, the claims involved in the controversy, and any other relevant information that may aid Congress in evaluating the scope and impact of such awards; and (2) be made available to the public online. Directs the Chairman to create and maintain online a searchable database containing specified information with respect to each award, including the name of the agency involved, the name of each party to whom the award was made, the amount of the award, and the basis for finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. Directs the head of each agency, including the Attorney General, to provide the Chairman all information requested to comply with such requirements. | 2023-01-11T13:29:06Z | |
| 114-hr-281 | 114 | hr | 281 | Every Child is a Blessing Act of 2014 | Law | 2015-01-12 | 2015-02-02 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Palazzo, Steven M. [R-MS-4] | MS | R | P000601 | 40 | Every Child is a Blessing Act of 2014 [sic] Prohibits recovery of damages in certain civil actions based on a claim that, but for the conduct of the defendant, a child, once conceived, would not or should not have been born. Makes such prohibition applicable to claims based on a child's disability, defect, abnormality, race, sex, or other inborn characteristic. Bars such prohibition from being construed to: (1) provide a defense against charges of intentional misrepresentation in state proceedings regulating the professional practices of health care providers and practitioners, (2) provide a defense in any criminal action, including cases of rape or incest, or (3) limit damages in cases where the conduct of the defendant caused personal injury or death to the child or gestational mother. | 2023-01-11T13:29:10Z | |
| 114-hr-241 | 114 | hr | 241 | ACCESS (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services) Act of 2015 | Law | 2015-01-09 | 2015-02-02 | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. | House | Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42] | CA | R | C000059 | 21 | ACCESS (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services) Act of 2015 Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. | 2023-01-11T13:29:11Z |
Advanced export
JSON shape: default, array, newline-delimited, object
CREATE TABLE legislation (
bill_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
congress INTEGER,
bill_type TEXT,
bill_number INTEGER,
title TEXT,
policy_area TEXT,
introduced_date TEXT,
latest_action_date TEXT,
latest_action_text TEXT,
origin_chamber TEXT,
sponsor_name TEXT,
sponsor_state TEXT,
sponsor_party TEXT,
sponsor_bioguide_id TEXT,
cosponsor_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
summary_text TEXT,
update_date TEXT,
url TEXT
);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_congress ON legislation(congress);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_type ON legislation(bill_type);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_policy ON legislation(policy_area);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_date ON legislation(introduced_date);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor ON legislation(sponsor_name);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor_bioguide ON legislation(sponsor_bioguide_id);