# 119-hr-8991: SHADOW Act

119-hr-8991, SHADOW Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD); status introduced (as of 2026-07-25).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8991
- As of: 2026-07-25
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8991
- Congress: 119
- Title: SHADOW Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-25

## Summary

**Stricter standards and on-record public reasons for Supreme Court stays and All Writs Act writs.** This bill would force clearer, injury-based showings before the Court can pause lower-court orders or issue extraordinary writs and would require prompt publication of the Court's reasons. - Litigants seeking a stay would need to show a specific, concrete, and irreparable injury that is distinct from any harm caused by the stay itself. The Court could not base a stay on findings about the case's ultimate merits or a party's likelihood of prevailing. - Stays would be limited in precedential effect and must account for whether issuing relief would substantially injure other parties or serve the public interest. That narrows how a stay can affect people beyond the immediate case. - For writs under the All Writs Act the Court would have to find a critical and exigent need and an indisputably clear legal right. The Court or a justice must put reasons on the record and publish them on the public docket, or do so within 7 days in emergencies.

## Provisions PRIA read

- New limits on emergency Supreme Court orders: mixed, low. If enacted, this bill would raise the legal standard for Supreme Court emergency stays and All Writs Act writs. The Court or a justice would have to find a specific, concrete, and irreparable injury before granting a stay. A stay decision would not decide the case's main issues, would generally not…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-5658: Child Care for Every Community Act
- 119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act
- 119-hr-2913: Ukraine Support Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8991 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8991)

## Related
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-5658: Child Care for Every Community Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5658)
- [119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3069)
- [119-hr-2913: Ukraine Support Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2913)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8991 (as of 2026-07-25).