,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dchh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bb1      
#bjbd,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,welch1   
,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,ms4       
,smith1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,ms4
 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4        
,whitehouse1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to improve the administration of       
justice by requiring written            
explanations by the ,supreme ,court of  
its decisions and the disclosure of     
votes by justices in cases within the   
appellate jurisdiction of the ,supreme  
,court that involve injunctive relief1  
and other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,shadow  
,docket ,sunlight ,act of #bjbd4  #b4   
,supreme ,court written explanations and
 disclosure of voting in cases involving
 injunctive relief  7a7 ,in general     

,chapter #aee of title #bh1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #bbhe4 ,written 
explanations and disclosure of voting in
 ,supreme ,court cases involving        
injunctive relief  7a7 ,definitions ,in 
this section-- 7#a7 the term ,supreme   
,court means the ,supreme ,court of the 
,united ,states1 including any          
individual justice or set of justices   
when acting on behalf of the ,supreme   
,court of the ,united ,states2 and  7#b7
 the term ,supreme ,court's appellate   
jurisdiction means all cases within the 
jurisdiction of the ,supreme ,court     
other than those within the original    
jurisdiction of the ,supreme ,court4    
7b7 ,requirement  7#a7 ,written         
explanation and vote disclosure ,in any 
case within the ,supreme ,court's       
appellate jurisdiction1 the ,supreme    
,court may not issue any order granting1
 denying1 or vacating injunctive relief 
or granting1 denying1 or vacating a stay
 of such relief unless the ,supreme     

,court publishes a written explanation  
of reasons supporting such order and    
indicates in writing how each           
participating justice voted regarding   
such order4  7#b7 ,multiple opinions    
,the written explanation required under 
paragraph 7#a7 may be made in #a or more
 opinions representing a majority of    
justices participating in a decision1   
without regard to whether a majority of 
the justices participating in a decision
 publish the same written explanation4  
7#c7 ,administrative and scheduling     
orders excluded ,the requirements of    
this subsection shall not apply to      
orders granting or denying applications 
that relate only to administrative or   
scheduling matters or petitions for     
certiorari and that do not grant1 deny1 
or vacate injunctive relief or grant1   
deny1 or vacate a stay of such relief4  
7c7 ,limitations and inclusions ,in     
implementing this section1 the following
 shall apply3 7#a7 ,nothing in this     
section shall be construed to modify the

 substantive standards applied by any   
court in deciding any case4  7#b7       
,nothing in this section shall be       
construed to modify the jurisdiction of 
the ,supreme ,court under any other law4
  7#c7 ,this section shall apply with   
respect to orders issued in connection  
with a claim under chapter #e or #g of  
title #e4  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment 
,the table of sections for chapter #aee 
of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #bbhe4 ,written explanations
 and disclosure of voting in ,supreme   
,court cases involving injunctive       
relief4  4  #c4 ,reports  7a7 ,in       
general ,not later than ,april #a of the
 first year that begins more than #ahj  
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 and ,april #a of every second    
year thereafter1 the ,director of the   
,federal ,judicial ,center shall submit 
to ,congress a report-- 7#a7 assessing  
the extent of compliance or             
noncompliance with the requirements of  

section #bbhe of title #bh1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as added by section #b of
 this ,act2 and  7#b7 providing any     
recommendations of the ,director        
regarding ways to improve compliance    
with such section #bbhe4  7b7           
,additional time ,for the first report  
required under subsection 7a71 the      
,director of the ,federal ,judicial     
,center may submit the report after the 
date described in that subsection if the
 ,director identifies in writing to     
,congress the amount of additional time 
needed for completion of the report4    
#d4 ,severability ,if any provision of  
this ,act1 an amendment made by this    
,act1 or the application of such a      
provision or amendment to any particular
 person or circumstance is held invalid1
 the remaining provisions of this ,act  
and the amendments made by this ,act1   
and the application of such remaining   
provisions and amendments to any other  
person or circumstance1 shall not be    
affected thereby4