Sponsors (10)
The bill increases transparency and judicial oversight of settlements that could benefit the President—protecting taxpayers and public trust—but does so by imposing new procedural hurdles and retroactive review that can raise costs, delay resolution, and unsettle past agreements.
Taxpayers and the public: settlements that could benefit the President must be filed with the court and subjected to an evidentiary hearing, preventing undisclosed or collusive payments and increasing judicial oversight and transparency.
General public: reduces the risk that the executive can use settlement processes to obtain personal or third‑party benefits without adversarial review, helping preserve public trust in government.
People and entities covered by past settlements (and taxpayers): the bill applies retroactively to prior agreements, potentially reopening or invalidating previously concluded settlements.
The President, DOJ, and federal litigants: adds procedural requirements (filing terms and evidentiary hearings) that will increase litigation costs and create administrative burdens for government lawyers and officials.
Third parties and plaintiffs involved in claims with the President: makes resolving claims slower and more uncertain because agreements are not effective until a court approves them, delaying finality for claimants.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires court approval for settlement agreements that would benefit the President or a directed third party and voids unapproved agreements.
Official title: To amend title 28, United States Code, to establish certain requirements for compromise settlements between the President and the United States, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 9, 2026 by Jamie Ben Raskin · Last progress June 9, 2026
Prohibits the President (or someone acting at the President's direction) from entering or carrying out settlement agreements that would give the President or a third party benefits unless a federal court approves the agreement after a hearing and specific findings. The law treats such covered agreements as void unless the court finds the parties adverse, the settlement not collusive, the government made a reasonable defense, and the agreement is in the interest of justice. The rule applies to settlement agreements, consent decrees, compromise settlements, and similar resolutions in administrative claims or civil actions filed by the President (or claims pending when a new President takes office). It applies to agreements concluded before, on, or after enactment and adds the new statute to title 28 of the U.S. Code.