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HR 1508 111th Congress House Law Civil actions and liability Evidence and witnesses Freedom of information Government information and archives Health information and medical records Right of privacy

Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2009

Introduced: March 12, 2009 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 29, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.
Jun 4, 2009
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
May 29, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
Mar 12, 2009
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 12, 2009
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2009 - Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit a court from entering an order restricting the disclosure of information obtained through discovery, approving a settlement disagreement that would restrict such disclosure, or restricting access to court records in a civil case, unless the court has found that: (1) such order would not restrict the disclosure of information which is relevant to the protection of public health or safety; or (2) the public interest in the disclosure of 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 privacy interest. Prohibits any party from requesting, as a condition for the production of discovery, that another party stipulate to an order that would violate this Act.

Prohibits a court from: (1) approving or enforcing an order prohibited under this Act, or any provision of an agreement between parties to a civil action, 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 that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement, other than the amount paid, or from discussing a case or evidence that involves matters related to public health or safety, except where the court finds that the public interest in disclosure of potential health and safety hazards is outweighed by a confidentiality interest.

Creates a rebuttable presumption that the interest in protecting personally identifiable information relating to an individual's financial, health, or other similar information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit, require, or authorize the disclosure of classified information, as defined under the Classified Information Procedures Act.

What's happening now May 29, 2010

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1508: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1508/
MLA
"H.R. 1508: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1508/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1508, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1508/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1508: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-1508/)
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