,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dcfa  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #a1 #bjad ,mr4
 ,nadler 7for himself and ,mr4 ,deutch7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend chapter
 #aaa of title #bh1 ,united ,states     
,code1 relating to protective orders1   
sealing of cases1 disclosures of        
discovery information in civil actions1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,sunshine in ,litigation ,act of #bjad4 
#b4 ,restrictions on protective orders  
and sealing of cases and settlements    
7a7 ,in general ,chapter #aaa of title  
#bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following3     
#affj4 ,restrictions on protective      
orders and sealing of cases and         
settlements  7a7  7#a7 ,in any civil    
action in which the pleadings state     
facts that are relevant to the          
protection of public health or safety1 a

 court shall not enter1 by stipulation  
or otherwise1 an order otherwise        
authorized under rule #bf7;c7 of the    
,federal ,rules of ,civil ,procedure    
restricting the disclosure of           
information obtained through discovery1 
an order otherwise authorized approving 
a settlement agreement that would       
restrict the disclosure of such         
information1 or an order otherwise      
authorized restricting access to court  
records unless in connection with such  
order the court has first made          
independent findings of fact that--     
7,a7 such order would not restrict the  
disclosure of information which is      
relevant to the protection of public    
health or safety2 or  7,b7  7i7 the     
public interest in the disclosure of    
past1 present1 or potential public      
health or safety hazards is outweighed  
by a specific and substantial interest  
in maintaining the confidentiality of   
the information or records in question2 
and  7ii7 the requested order is no     

broader than necessary to protect the   
confidentiality interest asserted4  7#b7
 ,no order entered as a result of the   
operation of paragraph 7#a71 other than 
an order approving a settlement         
agreement1 may continue in effect after 
the entry of final judgment1 unless at  
the time of1 or after1 such entry the   
court makes a separate finding of fact  
that the requirements of paragraph 7#a7 
continue to be met4  7b7 ,in any civil  
action in which the pleadings state     
facts that are relevant to the          
protection of public health or safety1 a
 court shall not enforce any provision  
of an agreement between or among parties
 to a civil action1 or enforce an order 
entered as a result of the operation of 
subsection 7a77#a71 to the extent that  
such provision or such order prohibits  
or otherwise restricts a party from     
disclosing any information relevant to  
such civil action to any ,federal or    
,state agency with authority to enforce 
laws regulating an activity relating to 

such information4  7c7  7#a7 ,subject to
 paragraph 7#b71 a court shall not      
enforce any provision of a settlement   
agreement in any civil action in which  
the pleadings state facts that are      
relevant to the protection of public    
health or safety1 between or among      
parties that prohibits one or more      
parties from--  7,a7 disclosing the fact
 that such settlement was reached or the
 terms of such settlement 7excluding any
 money paid7 that involve matters       
relevant to the protection of public    
health or safety2 or  7,b7 discussing   
matters relevant to the protection of   
public health or safety involved in such
 civil action4  7#b7 ,paragraph 7#a7    
applies unless the court has made       
independent findings of fact that--     
7,a7 the public interest in the         
disclosure of past1 present1 or         
potential public health or safety       
hazards is outweighed by a specific and 
substantial interest in maintaining the 
confidentiality of the information in   

question2 and  7,b7 the requested order 
is no broader than necessary to protect 
the confidentiality interest asserted4  
7d7 ,notwithstanding subsections        
7a77#a77;,b77i7 and 7c77#b77;,a71 when  
weighing the interest in maintaining    
confidentiality under this section1     
there shall be a rebuttable presumption 
that the interest in protecting         
personally identifiable information of  
an individual outweighs the public      
interest in disclosure4  7e7 ,nothing in
 this section shall be construed to     
permit1 require1 or authorize the       
disclosure of classified information 7as
 defined under section #a of the        
,classified ,information ,procedures    
,act 7#ah ,u4,s4,c4 ,app4774  4  7b7    
,technical and conforming amendment ,the
 table of sections for chapter #aaa of  
title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding after the item        
relating to section #afei the following3
  #affj4 ,restrictions on protective    
orders and sealing of cases and         

settlements4  4  #c4 ,effective date    
,the amendments made by this ,act       
shall--  7#a7 take effect #cj days after
 the date of enactment of this ,act2 and
  7#b7 apply only to orders entered in  
civil actions or agreements entered into
 on or after such date4