H.R. 4161

119 HR 4161 IH: Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-06-26
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 4161  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   June 26, 2025   Mr. Casten  (for himself and  Ms. Norton ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on the Judiciary    A BILL
To prohibit a court from awarding damages based on race, ethnicity, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act of 2025  .
2.
Definitions
In this Act—
(1)
the term  future earnings table  includes any table or compilation of economic data used to determine, taking into account the median earnings in a geographic region—
(A)
how many years an individual would have worked in the future; or
(B)
the average wage an individual would have earned in the future; and
(2)
the term  protected class  means a group of individuals sharing a common characteristic or identity who are legally protected against discrimination.
3.
Calculations of damages
(a)
In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no court of the United States may award damages to a plaintiff in a civil action using a calculation for the projected future earning potential of that plaintiff that takes into account the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics including intersex traits).
(b)
Rule of construction
Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny a court from ordering damages based on the fact that the plaintiff is a member of a protected class or for the purposes of Federal civil rights laws.
4.
Inclusive future earnings tables
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act—
(1)
the Secretary of Labor shall develop guidance for forensic economists to develop inclusive future earnings tables that do not rely on race, ethnicity, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation; and
(2)
the Secretary of Labor and the Attorney General shall develop guidance for States on how to make calculations of future earnings in State tort proceedings free of bias on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnicity, and sex (including gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics including intersex traits).
5.
Study and report
(a)
Judicial Conference of the United States
(1)
In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall conduct a study on—
(A)
damages awarded under Federal law for personal injury; and
(B)
the aggregate data described in paragraph (1)—
(i)
by case type, including employment discrimination and tort damages; or
(ii)
by protected classes, including actual or perceived race, ethnicity, and sex (including gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics including intersex traits).
(2)
Report
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1).
(b)
Administrative Office of the United States Courts
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall conduct a study and submit to Congress recommendations resulting from the study on how to ensure that calculations of future earning potential of plaintiffs that take into account age and disability without conflicting with Federal equal protection laws.
6.
Training
The Federal Judicial Center shall conduct training for Federal judges on how to implement this Act, including instructions on how to use tables on future earnings in evidence that comply with this Act.