Shadow Docket Sunlight Act of 2025

Sponsor: Richard Blumenthal (Democratic-CT)

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Requires the Supreme Court to explain its emergency decisions and show how justices voted.

This bill would make the Supreme Court publish written explanations for its emergency orders and show how each justice voted. This aims to give the public and those involved in cases a clearer understanding of these quick decisions. It brings more transparency to a part of the Court's work often called the "shadow docket."

What Would Change

Today, the Supreme Court is not legally required to provide written explanations or disclose individual justice votes for its emergency orders, often called the "shadow docket." If this bill becomes law, the Court would have to publish detailed explanations for these decisions and show how each justice voted.

Key Provisions

Requires the Supreme Court to publish written explanations and individual justice votes for emergency orders issued in its appellate cases.
Requires these written explanations to address specific legal questions, such as whether an applicant is likely to succeed in their case or suffer major harm.
Requires the Federal Judicial Center to report to Congress every two years on how well the Supreme Court is following these new rules.
Clarifies that the bill would not change the basic legal standards courts use or the Supreme Court's overall power.

View on Congress.gov

S 3533 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 8/10

Lobbying Activity

1 filings mentioned this bill

Top Lobbying Clients

PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY

1 filing

Top Lobbying Firms

1.PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY1 filing

Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.