Sponsors (4)
The bill increases transparency and recovery tools to prevent and claw back Treasury-funded payments tied to presidential status, benefiting taxpayers and oversight, but it restricts certain payments to former Presidents and imposes administrative, legal, and timing costs that may complicate legacy claims and routine payment processes.
Taxpayers: Reduces and enables recovery of improper Treasury-funded payments tied to a President by creating recovery authority and oversight, returning funds to DOJ's Public Integrity Section for enforcement.
Taxpayers and Congress: Increases transparency and timely congressional oversight of large payments by requiring GAO reports to Congress within 180 days for covered payments over $1,000,000.
Federal employees and taxpayers: Clarifies which settlements and awards (including under 28 U.S.C. § 2672) are subject to the Act, improving consistency in how claims are handled after Jan 20, 2025.
Former Presidents: Restricts the ability of former Presidents to receive Treasury-funded settlements or awards tied to their official status, limiting compensation they might otherwise obtain.
Claimants and taxpayers: Narrows eligibility for Treasury-paid administrative awards and judgments by applying an effective date cutoff (claims filed or settled before Jan 20, 2025), which may complicate resolution of ongoing or legacy claims.
Agencies and state/local governments: Imposes additional administrative and compliance burdens to determine whether payments meet the 'would not have been paid but for' presidential-status test, increasing staff time, review, and litigation costs.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 12, 2026 by Adam Schiff · Last progress March 12, 2026
Requires the Attorney General to sue in federal court to recover Treasury-funded settlements, administrative awards, or judgments paid to an individual while that person served as President when the payment depended on presidential status. Courts must weigh factors suggesting a payment was granted because of presidential authority; recovered funds are directed to the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section. The Comptroller General must report to Congress within 180 days after any covered payment over $1,000,000, describing the considerations used to determine whether the payment was tied to presidential status. The rule applies to claims or settlements filed or reached on or after January 20, 2025.