Note.—The Supreme Court made these changes in the committee’s proposed amendment to Rule 81(c): The phrase, “or within 20 days after the service of summons upon such initial pleading, then filed,” was inserted following the phrase, “within 20 days after the receipt through service or otherwise of a copy of the initial pleading setting forth the claim for relief upon which the action or proceeding is based”, because in several states suit is commenced by service of summons upon the defendant, notifying him that the plaintiff’s pleading has been filed with the clerk of court. Thus, he may never receive a copy of the initial pleading. The added phrase is intended to give the defendant 20 days after the service of such summons in which to answer in a removed action, or 5 days after the filing of the petition for removal, whichever is longer. In these states, the 20-day period does not begin to run until such pleading is actually filed. The last word of the third sentence was changed from “longer” to “longest” because of the added phrase.

The phrase, “and who has not already waived his right to such trial,” which previously appeared in the fourth sentence of subsection (c) of Rule 81, was deleted in order to afford a party who has waived his right to trial by jury in a state court an opportunity to assert that right upon removal to a federal court.

Section 10381(n) of this title, referred to in text, was redesignated section 10381(o) of this title by Pub. L. 118–64, § 3, May 24, 2024, 138 Stat. 1435.

A prior section 508 of Pub. L. 90–351 was renumbered section 509 and had been classified to section 3758 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to being omitted from the Code.

Another prior section 508 of Pub. L. 90–351, as added Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6091(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4335, related to distribution of grants to local government, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1111(a)(1), (d), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3094, 3102, applicable with respect to the first fiscal year beginning after Jan. 5, 2006, and each fiscal year thereafter.