On behalf of our millions of members and supporters nationwide, these 45 groups urge the opposition of the so-called "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015" (H.R. 712), which would undermine citizen enforcement of our laws and impede the resolution of consumer protection, anti-discrimination, environmental protection, and other important cases before our federal courts. H.R. 712 targets consent decrees and settlement agreements involving congressionally mandated federal agency actions. These agency actions in many instances have the purpose of protecting civil rights, health, safety, and the environment. H.R. 712 prescribes a host of burdensome—and, in some cases, ambiguous—steps for courts and parties relating to such consent decrees and settlements that would favor continued litigation over settlement.
