The House on Monday approved a bipartisan bill that would force federal agencies to track and make public when they reimburse citizens’ legal fees incurred during the course of government-initiated suits that the citizen ends up winning.
The Equal Access to Justice Act allows citizens to seek reimbursement if they win a case and the government’s original position is deemed unjustified. The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, introduced by Reps. Doug Collins, R-Ga., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., would require agencies to maintain a database of those instances, make payment amounts public and explain why they pursued the unsuccessful cases in the first place.
“Americans have a right to be protected from abusive litigation tactics at the hands of their government, tactics that infringe on their basic liberties,” Collins stated after the bill passed by voice vote.
The bill strengthens “the original law by ensuring that federal agencies apply it transparently and effectively,” he said.
Cohen said it’s a matter of transparency.
“Without adequate reporting, citizens’ rights cannot be fully protected, and the government risks failing in its duty to its people,” Cohen stated.
