Bill · H.R. 3213· House(119-HR-3213)
Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 5/6/2025
- Last activity
- 5/6/2025 — Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Scott Fitzgerald
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act of 2025 aims to protect the authority of State and Federal courts to oversee the legal profession. It prohibits Federal agencies from having regulatory or enforcement power over attorneys and law firms performing litigation activities. Additionally, the bill prevents opposing parties in legal actions from bringing private civil lawsuits against attorneys for their litigation activities. The legislation also amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to include specific exclusions for attorneys engaged in litigation. These changes are intended to ensure that attorney regulation remains a judicial function rather than a regulatory one.
Yes
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
The bill provides legal protections for attorneys engaged in debt collection litigation.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+3
The bill reduces litigation risks for law firms and their clients by preventing certain private civil actions.
The opposite
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-4
The bill limits the ability of consumers to bring civil actions against attorneys for alleged misconduct during litigation.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?-2
The bill limits the regulatory and enforcement authority of federal agencies over legal professionals.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Reduced Litigation Risks for Attorneys: By prohibiting private rights of action against opposing attorneys for litigation activities, the bill seeks to prevent "unfair lawsuits" that arise from technical violations of acts like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Section 2(a)(6) and Section 3(a)(c)).
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Protection of Legal Representation: The bill aims to address issues that lead to "difficulty in obtaining legal representation" and "increased attorney malpractice insurance rates" (Section 2(a)(9)).
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Clearer Regulatory Standards: The bill intends to resolve the issue of "multiple conflicting sets of rules and standards for attorneys" caused by various Federal agencies (Section 2(a)(9)).
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Preservation of Attorney Duties: It seeks to prevent Federal agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, from requiring attorneys to act in ways that are "inconsistent with their ethical duties" or in the interest of consumers rather than their own clients (Section 2(a)(14)).
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Clarified Debt Collection Exemptions: The bill amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to specifically exclude attorneys engaged in litigation activities to collect debt on behalf of a client (Section 4(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limitation on Legal Recourse: The bill prohibits any person from bringing a civil action in a court of the United States seeking relief for harm resulting from alleged misconduct by an opposing attorney's litigation activities (Section 3(a)(c)).
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Reduction of Federal Agency Oversight: The legislation strips Federal agencies of any "supervisory, enforcement, or regulatory authority" over the litigation activities of attorneys or law firms (Section 3(a)(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency-2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5Good For Low Income Households-4
- 9/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/7/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/6/2025
- Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
Andy BarrRepublican · Kentucky
Daniel MeuserRepublican · Pennsylvania
Tim MooreRepublican · North Carolina