S 5148 United States Senate · 119th Congress

BOASBERG Act

The BOASBERG Act mandates that federal district and appellate courts use random methods to assign civil cases and judges to panels, ensuring that no party, attorney, or judge can influence which judge hears a specific case. While this randomization applies broadly, the bill allows for exceptions in limited situations such as when a judge must recuse themselves, when cases are consolidated for efficiency, or when a chief judge certifies a need for reassignment based on docket management rather than the parties involved. The legislation also requires courts to publish transparency reports explaining any deviations from random assignment and imposes penalties, including sanctions or disciplinary action, on individuals who attempt to manipulate the assignment system.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jul 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Jul 28, 2026 Last action Jul 28, 2026
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2
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Committee
1
Jul 28, 2026
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
upper
Jul 28, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

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