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S. 401 114th Congress Senate

Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015

Official title: A bill to amend rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to improve attorney accountability, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 5, 2015 Introduced by: Chuck Grassley Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
Law Civil actions and liabilityJudicial procedure and administrationLawyers and legal servicesLegal fees and court costs
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) 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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 5, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S837)
Feb 5, 2015
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action February 5, 2015

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S837)

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015

Amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question.

Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets.

Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • HR 758 Identical bill Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015
  • HR 4936 Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 401: Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-401/
MLA
"S. 401: Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-401/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 401, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-401/.
Markdown link
[S. 401: Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-401/)
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