Sponsors (30)
The bill narrows courts' power to issue broad, nationwide relief and clarifies/expedites appellate review to protect governments and non‑parties from unforeseen injunctions, but it does so at the cost of reduced judicial flexibility, harder access to immediate and wide-ranging remedies for harmed individuals (especially vulnerable groups), and greater litigation complexity and appellate workload.
State and local governments, federal agencies, and businesses will be less likely to be bound by nationwide or third-party injunctions, reducing the risk that unrelated lawsuits disrupt enforcement or operations.
Parties and courts get clearer and more expedited appellate review of temporary restraining orders (TROs), which can speed resolution of emergency disputes over government actions and reduce short-term enforcement uncertainty.
Clarifying appellate jurisdiction reduces inconsistent lower-court practice about which TROs are immediately reviewable, promoting more uniform judicial procedure and predictability for regulated entities and courts.
Low-income people, immigrants, and other harmed individuals or groups will have a harder time obtaining broad injunctive relief that protects similarly situated non-parties, reducing access to effective emergency remedies.
The bill restricts courts' ability to infer or craft equitable remedies beyond what the statute expressly permits, limiting judicial discretion to address novel or ambiguous harms and likely prolonging unlawful or harmful practices until multiple suits resolve.
Requiring more focused or representative litigation and expanding appellate review will raise litigation costs and procedural delays, increasing burdens on taxpayers and small businesses seeking or defending relief.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 31, 2025 by Charles Ernest Grassley · Last progress March 31, 2025
Prohibits federal courts from issuing orders that restrain enforcement against, or force action in favor of, non-parties unless those non-parties are represented by a party acting in a representative capacity under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Clarifies that courts of appeals may review interlocutory temporary restraining orders that seek to restrain or compel enforcement actions by the United States, a State, or their agencies or officers, and makes related amendments to the Declaratory Judgment Act and judicial-review provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. A rule of construction says the Act should not be read to grant courts any relief that the Act itself forbids.