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The law › Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure › Chapter 89

28 U.S.C. 1441: Removal of civil actions

Created in 1976 by Public Law 94-583. Changed by 6 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.

2 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 28 U.S.C. 1332, 50 U.S.C. 1885a.

This Congress

No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.

    How it got here

    2011

    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(1), substituted "Removal of civil actions" for "Actions removable generally" in section catchline. Law text
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(2), inserted heading and in text struck out at end "For purposes of removal under this chapter, the citizenship of defendants sued under fictitious names shall be disregarded." Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(3), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "Any civil action of which the district courts have original jurisdiction founded on a claim or right arising under the Constitution, treaties or laws of the United States shall be remo… Law text · (b)
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(4), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "Whenever a separate and independent claim or cause of action within the jurisdiction conferred by section 1331 of this title is joined with one or more otherwise non-removable claims o… Law text · (c)
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(5), inserted heading. Law text · (d)
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(6), inserted heading. Law text · (e)
    • Pub. L. 112–63, §103(a)(7), inserted heading. Law text · (f)

    2002

    • Pub. L. 107–273 added subsec. (e), redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f), and substituted "The court to which a civil action is removed under this section" for "The court to which such civil action is removed". (21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act) Law text · (e), (f)

    1991

    • Pub. L. 102–198 struck out comma after "title" and substituted "may" for "may may" before "remand". · (c)

    1990

    • Pub. L. 101–650 substituted "within the jurisdiction conferred by section 1331 of this title" for ", which would be removable if sued upon alone" and "may remand all matters in which State law predominates" for "remand all matters not otherwise within its original jurisdiction". · (c)

    1988

    • Pub. L. 100–702 inserted at end "For purposes of removal under this chapter, the citizenship of defendants sued under fictitious names shall be disregarded." · (a)

    1986

    • Pub. L. 99–336 added subsec. (e). · (e)

    1976

    • Pub. L. 94–583 added subsec. (d). · (d)

    Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.