[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3395-S3396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6226. Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Coons, and Mr. 
Whitehouse) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. _____. INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS.

       Section 1332 of title 28, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``of $75,000'' and 
     inserting ``described in subsection (b)''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b)(1) The matter in controversy described in this 
     subsection is not less than $150,000, as adjusted under 
     paragraph (2), exclusive of interest and costs.
       ``(2)(A) In this paragraph--
       ``(i) the term `appropriate year' means the calendar year 
     preceding the calendar year in which the adjustment under 
     paragraph (1) is to take effect; and
       ``(ii) the term `Consumer Price Index' means the Consumer 
     Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the 
     Department of Labor.
       ``(B) Effective on January 1, 2030, and January 1 of each 
     tenth year thereafter, the dollar amount then in effect as 
     the minimum amount in controversy applicable under paragraph 
     (1) shall be adjusted by an amount, rounded to the nearest 
     $25,000 (or, if midway between multiples, to the next higher 
     multiple of $25,000) which reflects the change in the 
     Consumer Price Index for the month of September of the 
     appropriate year, over the Consumer Price Index for--
       ``(i) in the case of the initial adjustment, the month of 
     September 2025; and
       ``(ii) in the case of each subsequent adjustment, September 
     of the year preceding the last adjustment.
       ``(C) The Director of the Administrative Office of the 
     United States Courts shall determine the amount of each 
     adjustment under paragraph (1) and, not later than November 
     15 of the appropriate year, shall submit for publication in 
     the Federal Register the amount (and the percentage change in 
     the Consumer Price Index that is the basis for the amount) 
     and the new minimum amount in controversy to take effect on 
     January 1 of the succeeding calendar year.
       ``(3) Except when express provision therefor is otherwise 
     made in a statute of the United States, where the plaintiff 
     who files the case originally in the Federal courts is 
     finally adjudged to be entitled to recover less than the sum 
     or value required under paragraph (1) without regard to any 
     setoff or counterclaim to which the defendant may be adjudged 
     to be entitled, and exclusive of interest and costs, the 
     district court may deny

[[Page S3396]]

     costs to the plaintiff and, in addition, may impose costs on 
     the plaintiff.''.
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