Earlier this month, the American Governance Institute and more than 20 other civil society organizations wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee leadership supporting bringing the Open Courts Act of 2026 up for a markup before the August recess. The bill, introduced by Sens. John Kennedy and Ron Wyden, requires the replacement of outdated electronic court records systems with a modern, centralized one that would save taxpayers money and provide greater security.

Previous versions of this legislation have passed the committee twice in recent Congresses. The letter is available below: