S 1099119th CongressIn Committee

Nationwide Injunction Abuse Prevention Act of 2025

Introduced: Mar 25, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Nationwide Injunction Abuse Prevention Act of 2025 would add a new provision to Title 28 of the U.S. Code (Chapter 85) that broadly restricts when district courts can issue injunctive relief. Specifically, it would prohibit district courts from issuing any order that provides for injunctive relief unless the order applies only to (1) a party involved in the case or (2) the judicial district in which the court sits. In effect, the bill would ban nationwide or broad injunctions and require relief to be limited to the parties or the geographic area of the issuing court. The language uses “Notwithstanding any other provision of law,” giving this rule superseded authority over other statutes or rules governing injunctive relief. The bill is titled the Nationwide Injunction Abuse Prevention Act of 2025 and was introduced in the Senate on March 25, 2025 by Senator Hawley, with co-sponsors. The text provided contains a single substantive provision (Sec. 1370) and does not include exceptions, transitional rules, or other carve-outs beyond the stated limitation.

Key Points

1Prohibits district courts from issuing any order that provides for injunctive relief unless it binds only the case’s parties or is limited to the district where the court sits.
2Applies to all forms of injunctive relief ordered by district courts (e.g., preliminary, temporary, or permanent injunctions).
3Uses “Notwithstanding any other provision of law,” meaning the limitation overrides existing statutes or rules to the extent of the conflict.
4Adds a new section (Sec. 1370) to Chapter 85 of Title 28 and updates the table of sections accordingly.
5Contains no listed exemptions or exceptions (no specified carve-outs for constitutional rights, emergency relief, or other scenarios).

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Plaintiffs and litigants who seek nationwide or broad injunctive relief in federal court (including public interest organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals).- Federal district courts and their procedures for issuing injunctions.Secondary group/area affected- Federal agencies and policy implementers who have relied on nationwide injunctions to halt or shape nationwide actions.- State and local governments whose actions may be affected by injunctions that previously impacted multiple states.Additional impacts- Could alter litigation strategies and the balance of power between branches by restricting the ability of courts to halt nationwide policies.- Potential legal and constitutional questions may arise about limits on federal judicial power, and possible challenges based on rights or other protections not explicitly carved out in the bill.- Practically, the bill would likely reduce the use of nationwide injunctions, potentially leading to more case-specific or state-by-state relief rather than sweeping nationwide orders.

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