Skip to main content
HR 8235 116th Congress House Law Computer security and identity theft Computers and information technology Government information and archives Internet and video services Internet, web applications, social media Judicial procedure and administration User charges and fees

Open Courts Act of 2020

Introduced: September 14, 2020 Introduced by: Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" Democratic · Georgia See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) 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 10 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 9, 2020
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Dec 8, 2020
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Dec 8, 2020
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7015-7018)
Dec 8, 2020
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Dec 8, 2020
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8235.
Dec 8, 2020
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7015-7021)
Dec 8, 2020
Mr. Johnson (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Sep 15, 2020
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Sep 14, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Sep 14, 2020
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Open Courts Act of 2020

This bill requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish a single electronic system for all public court records that is publicly accessible for free. Under the existing Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, users are charged fees for accessing court documents.

To fund the development of the new consolidated system, the Judicial Conference must temporarily establish a progressive schedule of additional fees for persons, other than government agencies, that are higher-volume users of PACER.

To fund the operations of the new system, the Judicial Conference shall collect an annual fee from federal agencies based on the amount of PACER fees paid by the agencies in 2018.

The Judicial Conference may also establish reasonable filing fees based on specified factors, including the extent of a person's use and the interests of justice.

The bill specifies various reporting requirements related to the new system, including for the Government Accountability Office.

What's happening now December 9, 2020

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • HR 6017 Related bill Twenty-First Century Courts Act
  • S 4988 Related bill Open Courts Act of 2020
 Bill text 3 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 8235: Open Courts Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8235/
MLA
"H.R. 8235: Open Courts Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8235/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 8235, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8235/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 8235: Open Courts Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8235/)
Report a problem