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HR 5419 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 2010

Introduced: May 26, 2010 Introduced by: Nadler, Jerrold Democratic · New York 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 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 26, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.
May 26, 2010
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
May 26, 2010
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2010 - Amends 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 potential health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the requested order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. 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, again in any such civil action, from: (1) approving or enforcing any provision of an agreement between or among parties to the civil action, or an order entered under this Act, 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 between or among parties to such civil action that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement involve matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety, other than the amount paid, or from discussing the civil action, or evidence produced in it, that involves matters related to public health or safety. Excepts from this enforcement prohibition (thus allowing enforcement of) a settlement agreement provision about which the court finds that 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 or records in question, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted.

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 July 26, 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 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5419: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2010. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5419/
MLA
"H.R. 5419: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2010." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5419/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5419, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5419/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5419: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2010](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5419/)
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