Sponsors (60)
Want me to put this bill in plain English?
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Creates binding ethics and transparency rules for the Supreme Court and the rest of the federal judiciary. It requires published codes of conduct, new disclosure rules for gifts and outside payments, stronger recusal/disqualification rules and a process to challenge judges for conflicts, mandatory disclosures for parties and amici about payments and lobbying, audits of amicus filings, and a study and periodic GAO review of judicial recusal compliance.
The Supreme Court must, not later than 180 days after enactment, issue a code of conduct for the justices after appropriate public notice and opportunity for comment under section 2071.
The Judicial Conference of the United States must, not later than 180 days after enactment, issue a code of conduct for judges of the courts of appeals, the district courts (including bankruptcy and magistrate judges), and the Court of International Trade after appropriate public notice and opportunity for comment under section 2071.
The Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference may modify the codes of conduct after giving appropriate public notice and opportunity for comment under section 2071.
The Supreme Court must make the code issued under section 365(a), rules established by the Counselor to the Chief Justice under section 677, and other related rules or resolutions available on its website in full-text, searchable, sortable, and downloadable format, as determined by the Chief Justice.
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Supreme Court must establish procedures (modeled after sections 351–364) under which individuals may file, or the Court may identify, complaints alleging that a justice violated the Supreme Court code of conduct, 28 U.S.C. section 455, or any other federal law, or otherwise engaged in conduct that undermines the Court's integrity.
Primary effects:
Justices, federal judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges: face new ethics and recusal rules, reporting and public-notice obligations, and checks on financial conflicts. They may see increased administrative tasks and more formal challenges to their participation in cases.
Supreme Court law clerks: become subject to disclosure rules tied to gifts, income, and reimbursements that relate to a Justice.
Parties, amici, and funders: must disclose funding, gifts, and certain lobbying tied to Supreme Court litigation and must identify who prepared or funded amicus briefs; this increases reporting burdens and may deter some third‑party spending or require more bookkeeping.
Courts and judicial administration (Judicial Conference, Administrative Office, Federal Judicial Center): take on new rulemaking, auditing, recordkeeping, and reporting duties; these offices will need staff time and possibly additional resources to implement audits, post notices online, and manage complaint processes.
Litigants and courts: can expect more filings seeking disqualification and formal review by special panels, which could delay case scheduling and increase litigation costs.
Potential benefits:
Potential risks and tradeoffs:
Overall, the bill increases transparency and accountability but also raises operational burdens and possible legal and political contestation over enforcement and scope.
Adds a new section 1660 to title 28 establishing procedures for motions to disqualify federal justices, judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges, including filing requirements, certification to a reviewing panel, composition and circuit limitation for the reviewing panel, participation by the subject judge, and Supreme Court review for motions against a justice.
Adds new section 1661 to chapter 111 of title 28 requiring disclosure of certain contributors to amicus briefs and requiring annual audits by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
Amends 28 U.S.C. 455 to add new grounds for disqualification, replace the duty-to-know provision, insert an added notification requirement, make conforming edits to include bankruptcy judges and other textual changes, and require courts to publish notices of disqualification and related reviewing-panel rulings on court websites.
Adds a new subsection (e) directing the Counselor, with approval of the Chief Justice, to establish rules governing acceptance and disclosure of gifts, income, and reimbursements for any justice and any law clerk to a justice, requiring at minimum disclosures and restrictions to the same extent as those in the Standing Rules of the Senate and the Rules of the House of Representatives, and processes for written approval of certain gifts.
Adds new sections 365–367 to chapter 16 of title 28 establishing: (1) a code of conduct for Supreme Court justices; (2) a code of conduct for other federal judges issued by the Judicial Conference; (3) public access requirements for ethics rules; and (4) procedures for receipt, investigation, and disposition of complaints against Supreme Court justices including creation of a judicial investigation panel.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced May 20, 2025 by Hank Johnson · Last progress May 20, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House