I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3993 
To amend title 28, United States Code, to require certain disclosures related 
to amicus activities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2019 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself and Mr. COHEN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 28, United States Code, to require certain 
disclosures related to amicus activities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assessing Monetary 
Influence in the Courts of the United States Act’’ or the 
‘‘AMICUS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DISCLOSURES RELATED TO AMICUS ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 1660. Disclosures related to amicus activities 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘covered 
amicus’ means any person, including any affiliate of the 
person, that files not fewer than 3 total amicus briefs in 
any calendar year in the Supreme Court of the United 
States and the courts of appeals of the United States. 
‘‘(b) DISCLOSURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any covered amicus that 
files an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the 
United States or a court of appeals of the United 
States shall list in the amicus brief the name of any 
person who— 
‘‘(A) contributed to the preparation or sub-
mission of the amicus brief; 
‘‘(B) contributed not less than 3 percent of 
the gross annual revenue of the covered amicus 
for the previous calendar year if the covered 
amicus is not an individual; or 
‘‘(C) contributed more than $100,000 to 
the covered amicus in the previous year. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—The requirements of this 
subsection shall not apply to amounts received by a 
covered amicus described in paragraph (1) in com-
mercial transactions in the ordinary course of any 
trade or business conducted by the covered amicus 
or in the form of investments (other than invest-
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ments by the principal shareholder in a limited li-
ability corporation) in an organization if the 
amounts are unrelated to the amicus filing activities 
of the covered amicus. 
‘‘(c) REGISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each covered amicus shall 
register as a covered amicus with the Administrative 
Office of the United States Courts. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The registration described in 
paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) the name of the registrant; 
‘‘(B) a general description of the business 
or activities of the registrant; 
‘‘(C) the name of any person described in 
subsection (b)(1); 
‘‘(D) a statement of the general issue 
areas in which the registrant expects to engage 
in amicus activities; and 
‘‘(E) to the extent practicable, specific 
issues that have, as of the date of the registra-
tion, already been addressed or are likely to be 
addressed in the amicus activities of the reg-
istrant. 
‘‘(3) DEADLINE.—Each amicus shall submit to 
the Administrative Office of the United States 
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Courts the registration required under this sub-
section not later than— 
‘‘(A) 45 days after the date on which the 
amicus becomes a covered amicus; and 
‘‘(B) January 1 of the calendar year after 
the calendar year in which the amicus was a 
covered amicus. 
‘‘(d) AUDIT.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct an annual audit to ensure compliance 
with this section. 
‘‘(e) PUBLICLY AVAILABLE LISTS.—The Administra-
tive Office of the United States Courts shall periodically 
update the website of the Administrative Office of the 
United States Courts with the information described in 
subsection (c)(2), which shall be made publicly available 
indefinitely. 
‘‘(f) PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF GIFTS OR TRAV-
EL BY COVERED AMICI TO JUDGES AND JUSTICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), no covered amicus may make a gift or 
provide travel to a judge of a court of appeals of the 
United States, the Chief Justice of the United 
States, or an associate justice of the Supreme Court 
of the United States. 
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‘‘(2) REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL FOR AP-
PEARANCES AT ACCREDITED LAW SCHOOLS.—Para-
graph (1) shall not apply to reimbursement for trav-
el for an appearance at an accredited law school. 
‘‘(g) CIVIL FINES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whoever knowingly fails to 
comply with any provision of this section shall, upon 
proof of such knowing violation by a preponderance 
of the evidence, be subject to a civil fine of not more 
than $200,000, depending on the extent and gravity 
of the violation. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FINES.—Amounts collected from 
fines issued under paragraph (1) may be used to 
maintain the website described in subsection (e)(2). 
‘‘(h) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prohibit or inter-
fere with— 
‘‘(A) the right to petition the Government 
for the redress of grievances; 
‘‘(B) the right to express a personal opin-
ion; or 
‘‘(C) the right of association, protected by 
the First Amendment to the Constitution of the 
United States. 
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