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119-hr-3213119th CongressWALLET

Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

Introduced

Summary

Restore courts' authority over attorneys' litigation activities. This bill would make courts and state disciplinary bodies the exclusive regulators of how lawyers act in litigation, bar federal agencies from making rules about those activities, and prevent federal private lawsuits against opposing counsel for litigation conduct.

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  • Attorneys and law firms: Would be regulated and disciplined only by state supreme courts, state attorney disciplinary agencies, and federal courts with proper jurisdiction for matters that qualify as "litigation activities."
  • Federal agencies: Would have no regulatory authority over attorneys' litigation activities, removing agency rulemaking or enforcement in that area.
  • Parties and consumers in lawsuits and debt cases: Would lose federal private rights of action against opposing attorneys for litigation conduct, and the bill aligns debt-collection rules so licensed attorneys who litigate to collect a debt are not treated as "debt collectors" under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for those litigation activities.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.

Agencies barred from policing lawyers in court

Federal agencies would not regulate lawyers’ actions in court. State and federal courts, and state bar authorities, would keep control. The bill would define litigation activities like filing papers, discovery, court communications, and enforcing judgments. If enacted, this could narrow consumer and other agency enforcement tied to courtroom work. The change would take effect upon enactment.

No federal suits against opposing lawyers

This bill would bar federal suits over harm from an opposing lawyer’s actions in a case. You might need to seek relief in state court, or lose a federal remedy. It would cover only litigation activities as defined in the bill. It would take effect upon enactment.

Fewer protections in debt lawsuits

If enacted, lawyers who collect debts in court would not count as debt collectors under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). You could have fewer federal protections or remedies in a debt lawsuit. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) would have less power over those lawyers when this exclusion applies. This applies only to court-related litigation activities as the bill defines them. It would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

WI • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]

    KY • R

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

  • Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 5/9/2025

  • Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 9/9/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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