H.R. 5624: Property Owners Access to Court Act of 2010

111th Congress · introduced 2010-06-29 · Law · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-06-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY-At Large] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Property Owners Access to Court Act of 2010

Plain summary

Property Owners Access to Court Act of 2010 - Amends the federal judicial code to provide that, whenever a district court exercises jurisdiction in civil rights cases in which the operative facts concern the uses of real property, it shall not abstain from exercising such jurisdiction, or relinquish it to a state court, if the party seeking redress does not allege a violation of a state law, right, or privilege, and no parallel proceeding is pending in state court, at the time the action is filed in the district court, that arises out of the same operative facts as the district court proceeding. Declares that in an action in which operative facts concern the uses of real property, the district court shall exercise jurisdiction even if the party seeking redress does not pursue judicial remedies provided by a state or territory. Provides for referral of an unsettled question of state law to the state's highest appellate court. Prohibits the district court from certifying a question of state law unless it is necessary to resolve the merits of the injured party's federal claim, and such question is patently unclear. Declares that any claim or action to redress the deprivation of a property right or privilege secured by the Constitution shall be ripe for adjudication by the district courts upon a final decision rendered by any person acting under color of any law, regulation, custom, or usage of any state or U.S. territory that causes actual and concrete injury to the party seeking redress. Declares that any claim founded upon a property right or privilege secured by the Constitution, but allegedly infringed or taken by the United States, shall be ripe for adjudication upon a final decision rendered by the United States which causes actual and concrete injury to the party seeking redress. Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States and the federal judicial code with respect to certain constitutional property rights claims. Provides for the liability of the United States for certain claims, brought under U.S. district court jurisdiction or Court of Federal Claims jurisdiction, where the claim is founded upon a property right or privilege secured by the Constitution. Requires a federal agency, whenever it takes action limiting the use of private property that may be affected by the amendments made by this Act, to give notice to the owners of that property explaining their rights and the procedures for obtaining any compensation that may be due to them under such amendments.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Property Owners Access to Court Act of 2010

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY-At Large] · 22 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Adrian Smith (R-NE), Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY-At Large] reported raising $1.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr5624.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5624 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111