Quigley Introduces Bill to Improve Access & Transparency in U.S. Federal Court System

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Chair of the Congressional Transparency Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Electronic Court Records Reform Act (ECRRA) to eliminate the paywall on public court records. The legislation, which he introduced along with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (GA-09), also modernizes the antiquated website which provides access to federal court filings and case records.

"As co-founder and chair of the Transparency Caucus, I have made it my mission to provide the public with increased access to the innerworkings of their government, which must also include the justice system," said Rep. Quigley. "The American people deserve free access to federal court records, and courts deserve a modernized way of maintaining those documents. The Electronic Court Records Reform Act (ECRRA) achieves both of those goals and is a prime example of a common-sense initiative to increase transparency and accountability."

"Courts represent a cornerstone of our democracy. We expect them to deliver justice in public, open for any and all to inspect, and this goal can't be achieved when case filings and other documents are shrouded behind a paywall," said Rep. Collins. "Overcharging Americans to view public court records through the PACER System is unreasonable. I introduced the Electronic Court Records Reform Act to ensure that people can access these records easily and without cost."

ECRRA would guarantee free public access to federal court records through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, which currently charges the public a fee to access documents. The bill would also require updates to the PACER system, including adding a function to enable all users to search its catalog of court documents easily. Currently, litigants are handicapped because they cannot conduct research through the system.

The Electronic Court Records Reform Act:

* Makes accessing court records in the PACER System free to the public rather than charging per page.

* Requires improvements to the PACER System to make documents more accessible.

* Promotes accessibility by enabling direct links to documents.

* Requires audio and visual court records be made available on the PACER System.

* Consolidates the Case Management/Electronic Filing System (CM/ECF) to ensure uniform access for all litigants.

* Updates CM/ECF with new technology in order to enhance security.

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