the E-Government Act of 2002 shall contain a link 
to the system. 
(6) To the extent practicable, the system shall 
enable courts to automatically generate and submit, 
in a computer-readable format, the reports required 
by sections 2519(1) and 3103a(d)(1) of title 18, 
United States Code. 
(c) DATA STANDARDS.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF DATA STANDARDS.— 
The Director of the Administrative Office of the 
United States Courts, in coordination with the Ad-
ministrator of General Services and the Archivist of 
the United States, shall establish data standards for 
the system established under subsection (a). 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The data standards es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent 
reasonable and practicable— 
(A) incorporate widely accepted common 
data elements; 
(B) incorporate a widely accepted, non-
proprietary, full text searchable, platform-inde-
pendent computer-readable format; and 
(C) be capable of being continually up-
graded as necessary. 
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(3) DEADLINES.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
of the Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts shall issue guidance to all Federal courts on 
the data standards established under this section. 
(d) USE OF TECHNOLOGY.—In carrying out the du-
ties under subsection (a), the Director shall use modern 
technology in order— 
(1) to improve security, data accessibility, data 
quality, affordability, and performance; and 
(2) to minimize the burden on pro se litigants. 
(e) DATE SPECIFIED.—The date specified in this 
subsection is the date that is 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, unless the Administrator of 
General Services certifies to Congress, by not later than 
90 days after such date of enactment, that an additional 
period of time is required. If the Administrator so cer-
tifies, the date specified in this subsection is the date that 
is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(f) FUNDS FOR ESTABLISHMENT, OPERATION, AND 
MAINTENANCE OF MODERNIZED COURT RECORDS SYS-
TEM.— 
(1) SHORT TERM ACCESS FEES TO FUND ES-
TABLISHMENT
OF
MODERNIZED
COURT
RECORDS 
SYSTEM.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Ju-
diciary Appropriations Act, 1992 (title III of 
Public Law 102–140; 105 Stat. 807) (28 
U.S.C. 1913 note) is amended— 
(i) in subsection (a), by inserting 
‘‘The Judicial Conference shall prescribe a 
schedule of additional fees for any person 
other than a government agency who ac-
crues such fees for access in an amount of 
$25,000 or greater in any quarter. All fees 
collected shall be deposited as offsetting 
collections to the Judiciary Information 
Technology Fund pursuant to section 
612(c)(1)(A) of title 28, United States 
Code, to reimburse expenses incurred in 
carrying out section 2 of the Open Courts 
Act of 2021.’’ before ‘‘The Director of the 
Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘All 
fees hereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 
otherwise provided in this section, all fees 
hereafter’’. 
(B) EXCESS FEES.—Amounts deposited in 
the Judiciary Information Technology Fund 
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pursuant to the amendments made by subpara-
graph (A) and not used to reimburse expenses 
incurred in carrying out section 2 of this Act 
may be used pursuant to section 612(a) of title 
28, United States Code. 
(C) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The amendment 
made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect on 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) FILING
FEES
TO
FUND
OPERATION
AND 
MAINTENANCE
OF
MODERNIZED
COURT
RECORDS 
SYSTEM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Ju-
diciary Appropriations Act, 1992 (title III of 
Public Law 102–140; 105 Stat. 807) (28 
U.S.C. 1913 note) is amended by striking sub-
sections (a) and (b), and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(a) To cover the costs of carrying out section 2 of 
the Open Courts Act of 2021, the Judicial Conference 
may, only to the extent necessary, prescribe schedules of 
reasonable filing fees, pursuant to sections 1913, 1914, 
1926, 1930, and 1932 of title 28, United States Code, 
which— 
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‘‘(1) shall be based on the extent of use of the 
system described under such section 2 for purposes 
of such action; 
‘‘(2) shall in addition be based on factors in-
cluding the nature of the action and claim for relief, 
the amount of damages demanded, the estimated 
complexity of the type of action, and the interests of 
justice; 
‘‘(3) may be prescribed for the filing of a coun-
terclaim; 
‘‘(4) shall not apply in the case of a pro se liti-
gant or litigant who certifies their financial hard-
ship; and 
‘‘(5) shall not be a basis for denying access to 
the courts of the United States. 
‘‘(b) The Judicial Conference and the Director shall 
transmit each schedule of fees prescribed under subsection 
(a) to Congress at least 90 days before the schedule be-
comes effective. All fees collected under subsection (a) 
shall be deposited as offsetting collections to the Judiciary 
Information Technology Fund pursuant to section 
612(c)(1)(A) of title 28, United States Code, to reimburse 
expenses incurred in carrying out section 2 of the Open 
Courts Act of 2021. 
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