Sponsors (2)
The bill substantially increases transparency, victim participation, and oversight of presidential clemency at the cost of added administrative burdens, potential delays, privacy/national-security risks, higher compliance costs, and a possible chilling effect on informal advocates.
Taxpayers and the general public gain much greater transparency and contemporaneous public records about clemency (same-day written explanations in the Federal Register/White House site, rapid lobbyist disclosures, and annual compliance reports), improving accountability and public oversight.
Crime victims, their families, and disability-affected survivors receive clearer, formal opportunities to be notified and submit written views, and a uniform statutory victim definition promotes consistent treatment across agencies.
Federal offices, courts, and practitioners benefit from clearer statutory definitions of 'executive clemency' and a unified victim definition, reducing ambiguity and encouraging consistent application across agencies and legal contexts.
Pardon Attorney staff, DOJ personnel, and White House offices face increased administrative burdens and tighter deadlines (immediate explanations, notifications, reporting), which will likely divert staff time from substantive casework and could slow clemency processing.
Individuals, nonprofits, and pro bono advocates may be deterred from informal or volunteer clemency advocacy because expedited disclosure rules and loss of prior exemptions impose legal and procedural burdens.
Immediate (2-business-day) registration and reporting requirements impose higher compliance costs on lobbyists and organizations engaged in clemency advocacy.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires same-day public explanations for clemency, Justice Impact Statements by the Pardon Attorney, fast two-day clemency lobbying registration/reporting, and biennial compliance studies with annual reports to Congress.
Requires the President to publish a written explanation whenever executive clemency (pardon, commutation, reprieve, or remission of fine) is granted, and directs the Department of Justice Pardon Attorney to prepare and deliver a Justice Impact Statement whenever the President is considering clemency. Imposes fast (two-business-day) registration and reporting rules for lobbyists who contact officials about clemency, requires periodic compliance studies and annual reports to Congress, and includes a severability clause. The bill increases transparency around the clemency process, formalizes victim-notice and victim-statement collection in the Pardon Attorney’s assessments, expands lobbying disclosure requirements specific to clemency matters, and mandates DOJ-produced compliance reviews beginning 180 days after enactment and recurring biennially with annual reporting to Congress.
Official title: To require the President to publish a statement of reasons for pardons, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 22, 2026 by Dave Min · Last progress July 22, 2026