I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 720 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 30, 2017 Mr. Smith of Texas (for himself, Mr. Goodlatte , Mr. Buck , Mr. Franks of Arizona , Mr. Farenthold , Mr. Chabot , and Mr. Chaffetz ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to improve attorney accountability, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2017 . 2. Attorney accountability (a) Sanctions under rule 11 Rule 11(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking may and inserting shall ; (2) in paragraph (2), by striking Rule 5 and all that follows through motion. and inserting Rule 5. ; and (3) in paragraph (4), by striking situated and all that follows through the end of the paragraph and inserting situated, and to compensate the parties that were injured by such conduct. Subject to the limitations in paragraph (5), the sanction shall consist of an order to pay to the party or parties the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred as a direct result of the violation, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. The court may also impose additional appropriate sanctions, such as striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, or other directives of a non-monetary nature, or, if warranted for effective deterrence, an order directing payment of a penalty into the court. . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act or an amendment made by this Act shall be construed to bar or impede the assertion or development of new claims, defenses, or remedies under Federal, State, or local laws, including civil rights laws, or under the Constitution of the United States.