,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #big  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #ca1       
#bjai,mr4 ,lee introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title #bh1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to modify the amount in  
controversy requirement and remove the  
complete diversity requirement4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,federal ,courts ,access ,act of    
#bjai4  #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of  
this ,act are to-- 7#a7 assure fairer   
and more efficient civil litigation and 
prompt recoveries for claimants and     
defendants2  7#b7 enhance the integrity 
of the legal system of the ,united      
,states by diminishing abuses in the    
civil litigation system2 and  7#c7      
restore the intent of the framers of the
 ,constitution of the ,united ,states by
 ensuring ,federal court consideration  
of major controversies1 consistent with 
diversity jurisdiction principles4  #c4 

,diversity of citizenship2 amount in    
controversy  7a7 ,in general ,section   
#accb of title #bh1 ,united ,states     
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7a7--  7,a7 in the matter preceding     
paragraph 7#a71 by striking #ge1jjj and 
inserting #abe1jjj2 and  7,b7 in        
paragraph 7#a71 by inserting not less   
than #a plaintiff and #a defendant who  
are before citizens of different        
,states2  7#b7 in subsection 7b71 by    
striking #ge1jjj and inserting #abe1jjj2
 and  7#c7 in subsection 7d7--  7,a7 in 
paragraph 7#b71 by striking #e1jjj1jjj  
and inserting #abe1jjj2  7,b7 by        
striking paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d72  7,c7
 by redesignating paragraphs 7#e7       
through 7#aj7 as paragraphs 7#c7 through
 7#h71 respectively2  7,d7 in paragraph 
7#c71 as so redesignated1 by striking   
,paragraphs 7#b7 through 7#d7 and       
inserting ,paragraph 7#b72  7,e7 in     
paragraph 7#d71 as so redesignated1 by  
striking #e1jjj1jjj and inserting       
#abe1jjj2  7,f7 in paragraph 7#e71 as so

 redesignated1 by striking 7#b7 through 
7#f7 and inserting 7#b7 through 7#d72   
7,g7 in paragraph 7#g77;,a71 as so      
redesignated-- 7i7 by inserting section 
after defined under2 and  7ii7 by       
striking 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ghp7f77#c77 and
 inserting 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ggp7f77#c772 
and  7,h7 by striking paragraph 7#aa74  
7b7 ,removal of civil actions  7#a7 ,in 
general ,section #adda7;b77#b7 of title 
#bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
 7,a7 by striking if any and inserting  
if all2 and  7,b7 by striking is a      
citizen and inserting are citizens4     
7#b7 ,procedure for removal of civil    
actions ,section #addf of title #bh1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended--     
7,a7 in subsection 7c7-- 7i7 by striking
 7#a7 ,a case and all that follows      
through 7#b7 ,if and inserting 7#a7 ,if2
  7ii7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7  
as paragraph 7#b72 and  7iii7 in        
paragraph 7#b71 as so redesignated--    
7,i7 by striking 7,a7 ,if and inserting 
,if2 and  7,,ii7 by striking            

subparagraph 7,b72 and  7,b7 by         
redesignating subsection 7g7 as         
subsection 7f74  7#c7 ,removal of class 
actions ,section #adec of title #bh1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
striking subsection 7b7 and inserting   
the following3  7b7 ,removal generally  
,a class action may be removed to a     
district court of the ,united ,states in
 accordance with section #addf1 except  
that such action may be removed by any  
defendant without the consent of all    
defendants4  4