{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2336-114/featured_sunshine-in-litigation-act-of-2015-1469837912.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2336-114/featured_large_sunshine-in-litigation-act-of-2015-1469837912.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr2336-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-05-14","title_override":"Increased Transparency of Court Settlements That Affect Public Health And Safety","summary_override":"This bill would require federal judges to consider the public’s interest before allowing requests to seal court records in cases impacting public health and safety. Courts would only be allowed to seal records if:

Sealing the records wouldn't restrict access to the information that's relevant to the protection of public safety; or
The public interest is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the seal request isn't overly broad.

The bill was introduced following recent secret settlements related to liability lawsuits involving ignition switches in General Motors' vehicles. These faulty switches have killed at least 13 people since 2005. Federal judges currently have the power to mandate disclosure of settlements, but such authority is very rarely used.

","official_title":"To amend chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2015\n\nAmends 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.\n\nProhibits a court from: (1) enforcing any provision of an a...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People or companies trying to get court records sealed; Federal judges and courts; the public.","argument_for":"Companies should not be allowed to use courtroom settlements to keep lifesaving information from the public. ","argument_against":"This bill implies federal judges do not know when a case will be important to public safety and has the potential to start a litigation spree, backlogging courts. 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Increased Transparency of Court Settlements That Affect Public Health And Safety