According to the office of Congresswoman Lummis, "Congress passed the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) as a means to help individuals, retirees, veterans, and small businesses recover attorney’s fees and costs associated with suing the federal government.

Congress intended EAJA to remove a barrier to justice for those with limited access to the resources it takes to sue or defend against the federal government.

[2] The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act would amend the Equal Access to Justice Act and the federal judicial code to require the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States to report to Congress annually on the amount of fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties other than the United States in certain administrative proceedings and civil action court cases (excluding tort cases) to which the United States is a party, including settlement agreements.

The bill also would require the ACUS to create an online searchable database containing information about cases in which fees and expenses were awarded by courts or federal agencies.

[1] The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on August 1, 2013 by Rep. Cynthia M. Lummis (R, WY-0).

"[3] The National Association of Counties (NACO) strongly supported the bill because it "strives to create a balance between ensuring access to courts for individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in suits against the federal government and preventing abuses of the system.