Collins proposes free public access to federal court records

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) on Sept. 6 introduced the Electronic Court Records Reform Act to ensure free public access to federal court records through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.

“Americans deserve a justice system that is transparent and accessible,” said Rep. Collins, who added that H.R. 6714 would “modernize the judicial records systems and remove fee-for-access barriers that technology has rendered unnecessary.”

H.R. 6714 also would require updates to the PACER system, such as adding a function to allow any user to easily research the site’s court documents, a process currently not allowed through the system, according to the congressman’s office.

“As an attorney and the son of a law enforcement officer, I understand how crucial it is that this legislation ensures access to a freer, fairer and more accountable judiciary,” Rep. Collins said.

Additionally, H.R. 6714 would merge the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system, which was designed to increase efficiency, but remains compartmentalized across different courts, according to a summary provided by Collins’ office. The bill would combine the systems under the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to guarantee uniform access to all federal litigants, according to the summary.

H.R. 6714 has been referred to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for consideration.