# 119-hr-10335: Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026

119-hr-10335, Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI); status introduced (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10335
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10335
- Congress: 119
- Title: Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-10
- Sponsor: Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-11

## Summary

**This bill would clarify and broaden who counts as a "prevailing party" for attorney's fees under 42 U.S.C. 1988.** It defines three ways a plaintiff can be treated as prevailing: a judicial order granting lasting relief, an enforceable written agreement or consent decree, or a defendant's voluntary change that effectively gives the plaintiff the relief sought. - Plaintiffs and civil-rights lawyers: Would make fee recovery available not only after final orders but also after certain preliminary injunctions or enforceable settlements. This recognizes more paths to recover attorneys' fees. - Defendants and government offices: Could face greater exposure to fee awards when they enter consent decrees, settle with enforceable agreements, or change positions in ways that moot or grant the plaintiff's claims. That may affect how agencies and defendants resolve cases. - Courts and case scope: Would direct courts to count some preliminary orders as prevailing if they materially alter the parties' relationship and remain in effect. The change would apply to cases pending on enactment and to cases commenced after enactment.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More attorney fees for civil rights plaintiffs: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would define when a plaintiff counts as a 'prevailing party' for attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. 1988(b). You would count as prevailing if you get relief by a court order that gives lasting relief and changes the legal relationship between the parties. You would also count if yo…
- New fee rules for pending cases: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would take effect on the date it becomes law. The new definition of prevailing party and related fee rules would apply to any case pending on that date and to any case filed on or after that date. This would make the clarified fee rules immediately available in both ongoing and…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 119-hr-3946: FIGHT Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-10335 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10335)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-137)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3277)
- [119-hr-3946: FIGHT Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3946)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10335 (as of 2026-10-11).