FEES Act of 2026

This bill changes the Equal Access to Justice Act, which lets people who win cases against the federal government recover attorney's fees. Only winning parties with a direct and personal monetary interest, such as personal injury, private property damage, or unpaid agency payments, could receive fees, and awards would be capped at $200,000 per case and limited to 3 cases per calendar year, with exceptions for class actions and cases involving the Social Security Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs. Courts would be required to reduce or deny awards to account for pro bono work or certain conduct by the winning party. Settlements or consent decrees involving a federal agency that result in a regulation or guidance document could not include payment of attorneys' fees or litigation costs. Within 5 years, the Secretary of the Interior would form a 5-member panel to study the law's effects on federally managed lands and report to Congress.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Thomas P. Tiffany Republican sponsor
• 2 cosponsors