Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2012
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 428.
Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2012 - (Sec. 2) States that the provisions of this Act shall apply to: (1) a consent decree or settlement agreement in an action to compel agency action alleged to be unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed that pertains to a regulatory action that affects the rights of private parties other than the plaintiff or the rights of state, local, or tribal governments brought under judicial review provisions of the U.S. Code or under any other statute authorizing such an action; and (2) any other consent decree or settlement agreement that requires agency action that pertains to a regulatory action that affects the rights of private parties other than the plaintiff or the rights of state, local, or tribal governments.
Sets forth requirements with respect to actions to be resolved by a consent decree or settlement agreement under this Act, including requiring: (1) publication in a readily accessible manner (including electronically) of the complaint, the consent decree or settlement agreement, the statutory basis for the decree or agreement and its terms, and any award of attorneys' fees or costs; (2) an opportunity for affected parties to intervene in an action prior to the entry of a consent decree or settlement agreement; (3) referral to a mediation or alternative dispute resolution program after a motion to intervene is granted; (4) an opportunity for public comment on a proposed consent decree or settlement agreement before it is filed with a court; and (5) approval by the Attorney General of any proposed consent decree or settlement agreement in cases litigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Requires each agency to submit an annual report to Congress on the number, identity, and content of complaints, consent decrees, and settlement agreements for that year, including the statutory basis for each decree or agreement and its terms, and any awards of attorneys fees or costs in actions resolved by decrees or agreements.
The summary continues for 2 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House with amendment(s)" stage on July 11, 2012. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 11, 2012: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 428.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 112th Congress (2011-12), 283 of the 10,618 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Benjamin Quayle (R-AZ) introduced it on February 1, 2012, and 17 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 16 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 1, 2012, 5335 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 5174 days ago, on July 11, 2012.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 112th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2013 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers