Bill > S3533

This bill, the Shadow Docket Sunlight Act of 2025, aims to increase transparency in the Supreme Court's handling of certain urgent requests by requiring the Court to provide written explanations and disclose individual justice votes for decisions on preliminary injunctive relief, which are temporary court orders that either grant or block an action while a case is being decided. Specifically, when the Supreme Court, acting within its appellate jurisdiction (meaning cases it hears on appeal, not those it hears first), issues an order to grant, deny, or overturn such preliminary injunctions or stays of these injunctions, it must now publish a written explanation detailing the reasons for its decision and how each justice voted. These explanations must address key legal criteria, such as the likelihood of success on the merits, potential irreparable harm, the balance of equities, and the public interest, similar to the standards used when deciding whether to grant or deny such relief. This requirement does not apply to administrative or scheduling orders, or to petitions for review (certiorari) that don't involve preliminary injunctive relief. The bill also mandates that the Federal Judicial Center report to Congress on compliance with these new requirements every two years, starting in the first year after the law takes effect.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3533/all-info