U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH) is leading legislation that would overhaul how attorney fees are awarded under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), arguing the law is being exploited by well-funded advocacy organizations filing repeated lawsuits against the federal government.
“The Equal Access to Justice Act is an important tool for redressing wrongs committed by the federal government, and my bill strengthens that mission to ensure we remain a government by the people, for the people,” the congressman said.
The Stop Serial Litigation Act of 2026, H.R. 9295, which Rep. Rulli sponsored on June 11, would place new limits on attorney fee awards available under the 1980 law while preserving its use for individuals challenging federal government actions.
According to his office, the measure is intended to curb what it describes as “serial litigation” by special-interest groups that receive taxpayer-funded legal fee reimbursements.
“Frivolous litigation makes every aspect of our lives worse,” said Rep. Rulli. “These baseless lawsuits slow our courtrooms to a crawl, cause insurance rates and other costs to skyrocket, and make a mockery of our justice system while predatory lawyers and radical interest groups laugh all the way to the bank.”
The EAJA was enacted to help individuals recover legal costs when successfully challenging federal government actions. Rep. Rulli said the legislation has strayed from that original purpose, with organizations using provisions of the law to seek taxpayer-funded attorney fee awards.
Under the bill, a single entity could receive no more than $300,000 in attorney fee awards from the federal government each year. It also would reduce certain fee awards when a federal agency successfully challenges them as unjustified, eliminate a provision that allows courts to award attorney fees above the statutory rate based on “special factors,” and would require attorneys seeking reimbursement to provide itemized records of their work.
The legislation would also increase the base hourly reimbursement rate under EAJA from $125 to $175, with future adjustments tied to inflation. The measure would not apply its changes to cases involving the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmaker’s office.
The bill has been endorsed by Safari Club International and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.