Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act

Bill: 115-s-378
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2017-02-14
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil actions and liability

Congressional oversight

Government information and archives

Government liability

Legal fees and court costs
Latest action: action_date: 2017-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-02-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Equal Access to Justice Act and the federal judicial code to require the Administrative Conference of the United States to create and maintain online searchable databases with information about the attorney's fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties other than the United States in certain: (1) agency-conducted adversary adjudication proceedings, and (2) civil action court cases (excluding tort cases) or settlement agreements to which the United States is a party. </p> <p>With respect to each award, the information must include: (1) the name of the agency involved, (2) the name of each party to whom the award was made, (3) a description of the claims, (4) the amount of the award, and (5) the basis for finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. Under current law, the awards are made unless the position of the agency was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 378 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 14, 2017 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Grassley , Mr. Flake , Mr. Risch , and Mr. Enzi ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require the maintenance of databases on awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act . 2. Modification of equal access to justice provisions (a) Agency proceedings Section 504 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(1), by striking , United States Code ; (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h); and (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: (e) The Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States shall create and maintain online a searchable database containing the following information with respect to each award of fees and other expenses under this section: (1) The case name and number of the adversary adjudication, if available. (2) The name of the agency involved in the adversary adjudication. (3) A description of the claims in the adversary adjudication. (4) The name of each party to whom the award was made, as such party is identified in the order or other agency document making the award. (5) The amount of the award. (6) The basis for the finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. (f) The online searchable database described in subsection (f) may not reveal any information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law or court order. (g) The head of each agency shall provide to the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States all information requested by the Chairman to comply with the requirements of subsections (e) and (f) not later than 60 days after the date on which the request is made. . (b) Court cases Section 2412(d) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (5) The Chairman of the Administrative Conference shall create and maintain online a searchable database containing the following information with respect to each award of fees and other expenses under this section: (A) The case name and number. (B) The name of the agency involved in the case. (C) The name of each party to whom the award was made, as such party is identified in the order or other court document making the award. (D) A description of the claims in the case. (E) The amount of the award. (F) The basis for the finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. (6) The online searchable database described in paragraph (5) may not reveal any information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law or court order. (7) The head of each agency (including the Attorney General of the United States) shall provide to the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States all information requested by the Chairman to comply with the requirements of paragraphs (5) and (6) not later than 60 days after the date on which the request is made. . (c) Clerical amendments Section 2412 of title 28, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (d)(3), by striking United States Code, ; and (2) in subsection (e)— (A) by striking of section 2412 of title 28, United States Code, and inserting of this section ; and (B) by striking of such title and inserting of this title . (d) Effective date (1) In general The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall first apply with respect to awards of fees and other expenses that are made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Online databases The online databases required by section 504(e) of title 5, United States Code, and section 2412(d)(5) of title 28, United States Code, shall be established as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, but in no case later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.