Consumer Claims Court Act
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Consumer Claims Court Act - Title I: State Programs - Empowers the Attorney General to make grants and provide assistance to States to carry out the provisions of this Title. Sets forth the criteria which a State must meet to be eligible, on the basis of an application, for a grant to aid in the establishment of a state-wide system of consumer claims courts. Prescribes the record-keeping, auditing, and reporting duties of recipients of aid under this Act. Authorizes to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this Title. Title II: Federal Small Claims Jurisdiction - Provides that the district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action wherein the matter in controversy does not exceed $1,000 and (1) arises under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States, or (2) is between citizens of different States; citizens and foreign states citizens or subjects; or citizens and foreign states, citizens, or subjects thereof who are additional parties. Confers small claims jurisdiction upon any United States magistrate who has been specifically designated to exercise such jurisdiction by the district court or courts be serves. Empowers each district court to establish rules of practice and procedure governing the conduct of civil actions tried before a magistrate. Enumerates the general content of any such rules.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on May 16, 1974. 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 May 16, 1974: Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 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?
MARLOW COOK (R-KY) introduced it on May 16, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
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 May 16, 1974, 19110 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19110 days ago, on May 16, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers