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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 4430 (108th)

Legal Expense Equity Act of 2004

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

20 May 2004

Last action

28 June 2004 · Referred

Status

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Sponsors

Rep. Chocola, Chris [R-IN-2], Rep. Akin, W. Todd [R-MO-2], Rep. Barrett, J. Gresham [R-SC-3], Rep. Beauprez, Bob [R-CO-7], Rep. Brown-Waite, Ginny [R-FL-5], Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26], Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31], Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4], Rep. Cubin, Barbara [R-WY-At Large], Rep. Cunningham, Randy (Duke) [R-CA-50], Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC], Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ], Rep. Hensarling, Jeb [R-TX-5], Rep. Hoekstra, Peter [R-MI-2], Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3], Rep. Kelly, Sue W. [R-NY-19], Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4], Rep. Kline, John [R-MN-2], Rep. Lewis, Ron [R-KY-2], Rep. Miller, Candice S. [R-MI-10], Rep. Musgrave, Marilyn N. [R-CO-4], Rep. Myrick, Sue Wilkins [R-NC-9], Rep. Neugebauer, Randy [R-TX-19], Rep. Northup, Anne M. [R-KY-3], Rep. Norwood, Charles W. [R-GA-9], Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14], Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2], Rep. Pence, Mike [R-IN-6], Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16], Rep. Rogers, Mike J. [R-MI-8], Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3], Rep. Smith, Nick [R-MI-7], Rep. Souder, Mark E. [R-IN-3], Rep. Sullivan, John [R-OK-1], Rep. Tancredo, Thomas G. [R-CO-6], Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA], Rep. Weldon, Dave [R-FL-15], Rep. Otter, C. L. (Butch) [R-ID-1], Rep. Everett, Terry [R-AL-2], Rep. Thornberry, Mac [R-TX-13], Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10], Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41], Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6], Rep. Bonilla, Henry [R-TX-23], Rep. Miller, Jeff [R-FL-1], Rep. Kingston, Jack [R-GA-1], Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8], Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

18 August 2025

Summary

Legal Expense Equity Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize parties in civil diversity litigation to serve written settlement offers on an adverse party at any time not less than 10 days before trial. Authorizes the court, at any time before judgment is entered, to exempt from settlement any claim that presents a novel and important question of law or fact that substantially affects nonparties. Voids all settlement offers made by the parties with respect to such exempted claims. Authorizes an offeror whose proposed settlement was declined by an offeree to file a petition with the court seeking payment by the offeree of costs and fees, including attorney's fees, from the date of the last settlement offer by either party if the ultimate judgment or order is not more favorable to the offeree than the proposed settlement. Requires the court to order payment by the offeree in such circumstances unless requiring payment would be manifestly unjust. Limits attorney's fees ordered under this Act to: (1) the actual attorney's fees incurred by the offeree in connection with the claim; or (2) if no such cost was incurred due to a contingency fee agreement, a reasonable cost that would have been incurred by the offeree absent a contingency fee agreement. States that this Act does not apply to claims seeking equitable remedies.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 20 May 2004

    Introduced

    Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 20 May 2004

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 20 May 2004

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 28 June 2004

    Referred

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in House (text)

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  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 20 May 2004

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 20 May 2004

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

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  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 20 May 2004

    Open at official source

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Sponsors

Showing 48 of 56 sponsors and actors.

Related records

Sources

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