Bill · S. 4667· Senate(119-S-4667)
Open Courts Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 6/2/2026
- Last activity
- 6/2/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- John Kennedy
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Open Courts Act of 2026 requires the modernization and consolidation of electronic federal court records systems into a single centralized system. This new system will provide free public access to search, bulk access, application programming interfaces, and automated notifications for court records. The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts must develop this system and ensure it meets specific design, data, and cybersecurity standards. To fund the development and ongoing maintenance of this new system, the bill adjusts certain high-volume user fees and federal agency fees. Additionally, the bill outlines rules for keeping closed case records online and requires regular oversight reviews by the Government Accountability Office.
Yes· 3 of 11
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+9
Significantly improves transparency by providing free public search, bulk access, and automated notifications for federal court records.
Does this get reliable internet to more people?+7
The bill mandates open, free public access to federal court records via APIs and modern digital platforms.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+6
Protects lower-income filers making under $250,000 from potential new filing fees and eliminates public access costs.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-2
High-volume users and bulk data consumers face significant new fee increases of $25,000 or greater per quarter.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Free Public Access to Records: Section 3(b) states that no fees may be charged to access any functionality of the newly created system, which makes federal court records more accessible to everyday people.
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Protection for Lower-Income Filers: Section 3(b) establishes that any potential new filing fees will not apply to a filer who certifies that their adjusted gross income was less than $250,000, protecting everyday citizens from financial hardship.
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Disability and Mobile Access: Section 4 ensures that the system complies with digital accessibility standards under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which benefits individuals with disabilities who need to use the court records system.
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Automatic and Timely Information: Section 2(b) requires the system to make covered records automatically accessible to the public upon filing, ensuring transparency and timely information for the people.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Higher Fees for Heavy Users: Section 3(a) introduces additional fees of $25,000 or greater for any person other than a government agency that accrues such fees for access in a quarter or uses bulk-access functions, which could burden researchers, journalists, or businesses that rely on high-volume data.
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Risk of New Filing Fees: Section 3(b) allows for new schedules of reasonable filing fees to be prescribed if the revenue generated from federal agencies is not sufficient to offset annual covered costs, which could potentially impact certain court users.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+6Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Students+4Good For Business Owners-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+9Improves Due Process+3Increases Federal Power+2
- Education And Technology
- Improves Internet Access+7
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Disability Rights+5
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Fiscal Responsibility+2
- 6/2/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon