Advisory Committees on Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, Criminal, and Evidence Rules; Hearings of the Judicial Conference

The Advisory Committees of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure propose amending the federal rules of practice and procedure. The proposed amendments to Appellate Rule 25, Bankruptcy Rules 5005, 8011, 9006, 9036, Civil Rules 5 and 6, and Criminal Rules 45 and 49 relate to the ability of self-represented litigants to use a federal court's electronic filing system to file and serve documents. The proposed amendments to Bankruptcy Rule 9037, Civil Rule 5.2, and Criminal Rule 49.1 relate to enhanced protection of taxpayer identification numbers and minors' names in public court filings. Other proposed amendments include: Bankruptcy Rule 2003 (relating to meetings of creditors); Civil Rule 55 (relating to the clerk's entry of default); Criminal Rules 11 and 32 (relating to pleas and sentencing); Evidence Rule 104 (relating to deciding preliminary issues of fact); and Evidence Rule 902(1) (relating to self- authentication of public records of federally recognized Indian tribes).