Sponsors (4)
The bill increases transparency and legal pathways for victims, state and congressional officials, and courts to obtain Epstein-related DOJ records, trading off greater privacy and investigative risks, potential chilling of DOJ internal deliberations, and higher litigation costs.
Victims (people whose records are in the files) can obtain full, unredacted records about themselves (including FD-302s) and sue for relief, helping them gather evidence and participate in prosecutions or civil cases.
State attorneys general, district attorneys, and authorized State officers can sue to obtain records and remedies when DOJ withholds or redacts Epstein-related files, improving state-level oversight and accountability of federal record handling.
Members of Congress receive expedited access to unredacted records (within 7 days) with a 30-day requirement for DOJ justification/repair, strengthening legislative oversight of DOJ handling of these records.
Broader access to sensitive investigatory and classified records increases the risk of privacy harms to third parties and potential exposure of sensitive law-enforcement sources or methods.
Mandating rapid production (7-day turn for Members, expedited dockets) and quicker judicial timelines could pressure courts and agencies, raising the risk of rushed or overbroad disclosures that compromise ongoing investigations.
Creating criminal liability for DOJ/FBI officers for concealment, destruction, or false statements could chill internal deliberations and make officials more reluctant to withhold information even when legally justified.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Gives state prosecutors, victims, and Members of Congress a federal private right to sue to compel DOJ/FBI production or justify withholding of specified records, with expedited review and possible criminal penalties.
Official title: To amend the Epstein Files Transparency Act with respect to enforcement by an attorney general of a State, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 15, 2026 by Thomas Massie · Last progress July 15, 2026
Grants state prosecutors, certain state officers, victims, and Members of Congress a private right to sue in federal court when the Department of Justice (including the FBI and U.S. Attorneys) withholds, redacts, delays, removes, conceals, or fails to publish or justify records covered by the underlying Epstein Files Transparency law. It requires expedited handling, allows courts to order production (including unredacted classified material under secure procedures), authorizes damages, fees, and injunctive relief, and creates criminal liability for certain DOJ/FBI/USA officers who conceal or destroy material or make false statements. Limits on invoking common-law privileges are narrowed, withheld material must be accompanied by written justification in many cases, and the bill preserves other causes of action while excluding Touhy regulations as a basis to deny access. Members of Congress receive accelerated access deadlines and victims and state prosecutors are given defined access rights and remedies; the bill also applies to ongoing investigations and defines key terms like “victim” and “criminal network.”