[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 700 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 700

 To amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure to require written 
           opinions in certain cases, and for other purposes.


ERR11*_________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2003

   Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure to require written 
           opinions in certain cases, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Openness in Justice Act''.

SEC. 2. WRITTEN OPINIONS IN APPELLATE CASES.

    The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure are amended by inserting 
after Rule 48 the following new rule:
``Rule 49. Written opinions
    ``(a) When Required.--A written opinion that expounds on the law as 
applied to the facts of the case, and explains the judicial reasons 
upon which the judgment is based, shall be issued in connection with a 
judgment entered in each of the following cases:
            ``(1) A civil action removed from State court.
            ``(2) A civil action wherein jurisdiction is founded solely 
        upon diversity of citizenship, in which the matter in 
        controversy exceeds the sum or value of $100,000.
            ``(3) Any appeal regarding the use of a court's inherent 
        powers.
    ``(b) Parties' Right to Request.--Each party on direct appeal may 
request a written opinion referred to in subsection (a).''.
                                 <all>





                                                              H. R.    




_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES



   Mr.     introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                            Committee on    

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL




    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,