H.R. 8235: Open Courts Act of 2020
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H.R. 8235: Open Courts Act of 2020
116th Congress · introduced 2020-09-14 · Law · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2020-09-14 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the 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.
Official title
Open Courts Act of 2020
Plain summary
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.
Congressional Research Service summary (Passed 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.
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The strongest published arguments
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] · 1 cosponsors
Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Effects of H.R. 8235, Open Courts Act of 2020 (2020-12-08)
Cosponsors on this site
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] reported raising $514,399 (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 (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr8235.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>
Record fed-us-cong116-hr8235 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116