[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4502 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4502

 To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow for a stay of Federal 
 district court actions pending resolution of unsettled and ambiguous 
            questions of State law, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2016

    Mrs. Black (for herself and Mr. Bishop of Utah) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 28, United States Code, to allow for a stay of Federal 
 district court actions pending resolution of unsettled and ambiguous 
            questions of State law, 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 ``Pullman Act''.

SEC. 2. STAY OF FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT ACTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1660. Stay of actions to resolve issues of State law
    ``(a) Stay.--When a civil action before a United States district 
court involves a challenge to an unsettled and ambiguous question of 
State law on Federal constitutional grounds, the district court--
            ``(1) may, and should, stay the action, pending resolution 
        of the question of State law, if--
                    ``(A) resolution of the unsettled and ambiguous 
                question of State law could avoid the need to reach the 
                Federal constitutional issue or materially change the 
                nature of the Federal constitutional issue; and
                    ``(B) there are adequate means under State law to 
                resolve the unsettled question of State law; and
            ``(2) may certify the question of State law to the 
        appropriate court of that State.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) State.--The term `State' means any of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, or any commonwealth, 
        territory, or possession of the United States.
            ``(2) State law.--The term `State law' means the law of any 
        State.''.
    (b) Appeals From Interlocutory Orders.--Section 1292(a) of title 
28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Interlocutory orders of such district courts or the 
        judges thereof refusing the stay of an action under section 
        1660(a).''.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 111 of 
title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``1660. Stay of actions to resolve issues of State law.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to any civil action that is pending on, or is commenced on or 
after, the date of the enactment of this Act.
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