§ 1331. Federal question

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 1948

   Title 28, United States Code, section —

   Pub. L. 80–646 · 62 Stat. 869

   Enacted · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

   June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 930

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 930

2. 1958

   Pub. L. 85–554 § 1 · 72 Stat. 415

   1. Amended · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 85–554 included costs in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a)

   2. Substituted · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 85–554 included costs in section catchline, substituted “$10,000” for “$3,000”

   3. Added · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 85–554 included costs in section catchline, added subsec. (b)

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 85–554 included costs in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “$10,000” for “$3,000”, and added subsec. (b).

3. 1976

   Pub. L. 94–574 § 2 · 90 Stat. 2721

   Struck · 28 U.S.C. § 1331(a)

   Pub. L. 94–574 struck out $10,000 jurisdictional amount where action is brought against the United States, any agency thereof, or any officer or employee thereof in his official capacity

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–574 struck out $10,000 jurisdictional amount where action is brought against the United States, any agency thereof, or any officer or employee thereof in his official capacity.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   Sec. 2. Section 1331(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended District courts, civil action amounts. by striking the final period and inserting a comma and adding thereafter the following: “except that no such sum or value shall be required in any such action brought against the United States, any agency thereof, or any officer or employee thereof in his official capacity.”.

4. 1980

   Federal Question Jurisdictional Amendments Act of 1980

   Pub. L. 96–486 § 2(a) · 94 Stat. 2369

   1. Struck · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 96–486 struck out “; amount in controversy; costs” in section catchline

   2. Struck · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 96–486 struck out minimum amount in controversy requirement of $10,000 for original jurisdiction in federal question cases which necessitated striking the exception to such required minimum amount that authorized original jurisdiction in actions brought against the United States, any agency thereof, or any officer or employee thereof in an official capacity

   3. Struck · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 96–486 struck out provision authorizing the district court except where express provision therefore was made in a federal statute to deny costs to a plaintiff and in fact impose such costs upon such plaintiff where plaintiff was adjudged to be entitled to recover less than the required amount in controversy, computed without regard to set-off or counterclaim and exclusive of interests and costs

   4. Struck · 28 U.S.C. § 1331

      Pub. L. 96–486 struck out existing subsection designations

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 96–486 struck out “; amount in controversy; costs” in section catchline, struck out minimum amount in controversy requirement of $10,000 for original jurisdiction in federal question cases which necessitated striking the exception to such required minimum amount that authorized original jurisdiction in actions brought against the United States, any agency thereof, or any officer or employee thereof in an official capacity, struck out provision authorizing the district court except where express provision therefore was made in a federal statute to deny costs to a plaintiff and in fact impose such costs upon such plaintiff where plaintiff was adjudged to be entitled to recover less than the required amount in controversy, computed without regard to set-off or counterclaim and exclusive of interests and costs, and struck out existing subsection designations.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (a) Section 1331 of title 28, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “§ 1331. Federal question “The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.”.

   Effective date note
   Pub. L. 96–486, § 4, Dec. 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 2370, provided: “This Act [amending this section and section 2072 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1 of this title] shall apply to any civil action pending on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 1, 1980].”

5 of 9 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 4 partial