Stop Serial Litigation Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6]
Introduced
Summary
Limits on lawyers' and experts' fees in federal agency decisions and civil cases. The Stop Serial Litigation Act would cap fee awards, require detailed time-and-task billing, and set hourly limits that vary by agency with inflation adjustments starting five years after enactment.
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- Nonprofits and small businesses: Awards to 501(c)(3) organizations and to owners of unincorporated businesses, partnerships, corporations, associations, or local governments would be limited to $300,000 per year in non-Veterans Affairs and non-Social Security Administration cases.
- Attorneys and expert witnesses: Attorney fees are capped at $125 per hour for Veterans Affairs and Social Security adjudications and $175 per hour for other agencies, with inflation indexing beginning in the first fiscal year that starts five years after enactment. Expert witness fees may not exceed the highest rate paid by the agency involved.
- Transparency and scope: Parties must record actual total time, rates, the dates tasks were performed, actual time on each task, and a descriptor for each task. For fees tied to whether an agency was substantially justified or special circumstances, the award for those issues is limited to half the otherwise applicable hourly rate.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Detailed billing records required
This bill would require detailed time-and-task billing when you ask for fees and other expenses in certain federal cases. Petitions would need to show the actual total time, the rate used, the dates work was done, the actual time on each task, and a short description of each task. The rule would apply to fee requests under 28 U.S.C. 2412(d) in court and under 5 U.S.C. 504(a) in agency adversary adjudications, and it would take effect upon enactment.
New limits on fee awards
This bill would cap the fees and expenses that parties can recover in many federal agency hearings and in most civil fee-shifting cases. It would limit aggregate awards to $300,000 in any 12-month period for 501(c)(3) groups and for owners of unincorporated businesses or other listed organizations, except for cases involving the Veterans Administration or the Social Security Administration. Attorney and agent hourly fees would be capped: $125 per hour for VA or Social Security matters upon enactment, and $175 per hour for other agencies beginning in the first fiscal year that starts five years after enactment. The $175 rate would then be adjusted each year for inflation using the CPI-U, and time spent on whether the government was substantially justified or on special-circumstances issues would be paid at half the otherwise applicable hourly rate. Expert witness pay would be limited to no more than the highest expert rate the agency (in adjudications) or the United States (in court) pays.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6]
OH • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]
CA • R
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov