‘‘(c) AUDIT.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct an annual audit to ensure compliance 
with this section. 
‘‘(d) PROHIBITION
ON PROVISION
OF GIFTS
OR 
TRAVEL
BY COVERED AMICI
TO JUDGES
AND JUS-
TICES.— 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(e) CIVIL FINES.—Whoever knowingly fails to com-
ply with any provision of this section shall, upon proof of 
such knowing violation by a preponderance of the evi-
dence, be subject to a civil fine of not more than $200,000, 
depending on the extent and gravity of the violation. 
‘‘(f) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prohibit or inter-
fere with— 
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‘‘(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. 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION OF ACTIVITIES.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prohibit, or to au-
thorize any court to prohibit, amicus activities by 
any person or entity, regardless of whether such per-
son or entity is in compliance with the requirements 
of this section. 
‘‘(g) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this section, 
or the application thereof, is held invalid, the validity of 
the remainder of this section and the application of such 
provision to other persons and circumstances shall not be 
affected thereby.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘1660. Disclosures related to amicus activities.’’. 
SEC. 6. JUDICIAL TRAVEL. 
(a) DISCLOSURES
REGARDING
TRAVEL-RELATED 
REIMBURSEMENTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 102(a)(2)(B) of the 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘source and a brief’’ and 
inserting ‘‘source, and a brief’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, including the value,’’ 
before ‘‘of reimbursements’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘greater and received’’ and 
inserting ‘‘greater, received’’. 
(2) PERIODIC
REPORTS.—Section 103 of the 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(m)(1) Not later than 30 days after completing trav-
el in connection with which a judicial officer receives, or 
will receive, a reimbursement required to be reported 
under section 102(a)(2)(B), the judicial officer shall file 
a report regarding the reimbursement. 
‘‘(2) The Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts shall publish on a website of the Federal judiciary 
each report filed under paragraph (1).’’. 
(b) DEFINITION OF PERSONAL HOSPITALITY OF AN 
INDIVIDUAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 109(14) of the Eth-
ics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is 
amended— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘any individual’ means’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘an individual’— 
‘‘(A) means’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A) (as so des-
ignated)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘his family’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘the family of the 
individual’’; and 
(ii) by adding ‘‘and’’ after the semi-
colon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) with respect to a judicial officer, does 
not include— 
‘‘(i) private travel on a boat or air-
plane owned by an individual if that travel 
is substituting for commercial transpor-
tation; 
‘‘(ii) any food, lodging, or entertain-
ment provided by an individual who has 
(or owns or controls an entity that has) a 
matter pending before the court on which 
the judicial officer serves or before a court 
the decisions of which may be appealed to 
the court on which the judicial officer 
serves; 
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‘‘(iii) lodging at a residence or other 
property that is rented to others by the in-
dividual providing the hospitality; 
‘‘(iv) hospitality provided by an indi-
vidual at— 
‘‘(I) a restaurant, nightclub, re-
sort, hotel, or other commercial estab-
lishment; or 
‘‘(II) a private club of which the 
individual is a paying member; 
‘‘(v) hospitality extended by an indi-
vidual, the cost of which is paid for by a 
corporation or organization, including a 
corporation or organization that is not less 
than 10-percent owned by the individual; 
or 
‘‘(vi) hospitality extended by an indi-
vidual, the cost of which is reimbursed to 
the individual by any third party.’’. 
(2) CERTIFICATION REGARDING LACK OF REIM-
BURSEMENT.—Section 102(a)(2) of the Ethics in 
Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amend-
ed— 
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(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘The 
identity’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to subpara-
graphs (C) and (D), the identity’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) A judicial officer who receives food, 
lodging, or entertainment that is exempted 
under subparagraph (A) from being reported as 
being food, lodging, or entertainment received 
as personal hospitality of an individual shall in-
clude in the report covering the period during 
which the food, lodging, or entertainment was 
received a certification that the cost of the food, 
lodging, or entertainment was not reimbursed 
by any third party.’’. 
SEC. 7. FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. 
Section 208 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after ‘‘Government employee,’’, ‘‘or 
an officer or employee of the judicial branch of the United 
States Government,’’. 
SEC. 8. VIDEO RECORDING OF COURT PROCEEDINGS. 
(a) COURTS OF APPEALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
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‘‘§ 50. Internet publication of certain video record-
ings 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The open proceedings of each 
hearing of a court of appeals shall be made available by 
video for public transmission over the internet— 
‘‘(1) to the extent practicable, in real time dur-
ing such hearing; and 
‘‘(2) for not fewer than 5 years after the date 
on which the hearing concludes. 
‘‘(b) COPYRIGHT PROTECTION NOT AVAILABLE.—An 
audio or video recording created pursuant to the require-
ment under this section shall be considered a work of the 
United States Government for purposes of section 105 of 
title 17.’’. 
(2) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 3 of title 
28, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘50. Internet publication of certain video recordings.’’. 
(b) SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 7. Internet publication of certain video recordings 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each oral argument and reading 
of an opinion before the Supreme Court of the United 
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States shall be made available by video for public trans-
mission over the internet— 
‘‘(1) on the day of such oral argument and 
reading; and 
‘‘(2) in real time during such oral argument 
and opinion reading. 
‘‘(b) COPYRIGHT PROTECTION NOT AVAILABLE.—An 
recording created pursuant to the requirement under this 
section shall be considered a work of the United States 
Government for purposes of section 105 of title 17.’’. 
(2) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 1 of title 
28, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘7. Internet publication of certain video recordings.’’. 
SEC. 9. RESTRICTIONS ON SEALED COURT FILINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, as amended by section 5 of this Act, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 1661. Restrictions on sealing judicial records 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Unless otherwise provided by 
law, no court may seal any judicial record or any part of 
a judicial record unless— 
‘‘(1) the court finds that a compelling interest 
justifies abridging the right of public access to the 
judicial record or the part of the judicial record; 
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‘‘(2) the findings and conclusions of the court 
are specific to each judicial record or each part of 
a judicial record; 
‘‘(3) the seal is narrowly tailored and lasts no 
longer than necessary; and 
‘‘(4) the public has been given notice and op-
portunity to challenge the seal. 
‘‘(b) RULES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Supreme Court of the United States 
and the Judicial Conference of the United States 
shall prescribe rules of procedure in accordance with 
sections 2072 through 2074 to ensure that disin-
terested members of the public have a simplified and 
inexpensive process to contest a motion to seal a ju-
dicial record, to appeal an order sealing a judicial 
record, and to request that a judicial record be un-
sealed. No local rule of procedure may be less pro-
tective of the right of public access to judicial 
records than the rules prescribed under this sub-
section. Such rules shall be prescribed and submitted 
to the Congress pursuant to sections. 
‘‘(2) INITIAL
TRANSMITTAL.—The Supreme 
Court of the United States shall transmit to Con-
gress— 
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‘‘(A) the proposed rules required under 
paragraph (1) not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section; and 
‘‘(B) any rules in addition to those trans-
mitted under paragraph (1) pursuant to section 
2074 of title 28, United States Code. 
‘‘(c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
section may be construed to— 
‘‘(1) abolish, diminish, or infringe upon any 
right, responsibility, or remedy provided by the Con-
stitution of the United States or any other law; 
‘‘(2) relieve a court of any part of the inde-
pendent duty of the court to enforce the right of 
public access to judicial records; 
‘‘(3) abrogate any rule of law that is more or 
additionally protective of the right of public access 
to judicial records.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, as amended by section 5 of this Act, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘1661. Restrictions on sealing judicial records.’’. 
SEC. 10. STUDIES BY THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 
2022, and every other year thereafter, the Federal Judi-
cial Center shall conduct a study of the extent of compli-
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ance or noncompliance with the requirements of sections 
144 and 455 of title 28, United States Code, as amended 
by section 3 of this Act. 
(b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than April 
1 of each year following the completion of the study re-
quired under subsection (a)— 
(1) the Federal Judicial Center— 
(A) shall submit to Congress a report con-
taining the findings of the study; and 
(B) may submit to Congress recommenda-
tions to improve the compliance by the Federal 
judiciary with the requirements of sections 144 
and 455 of title 28, United States Code, as 
amended by section 3 of this Act; and 
(2) the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to Congress a report containing 
an evaluation of the methodology and findings of the 
study. 
(c) FACILITATION OF STUDIES.—In order to facili-
tate the studies required under subsection (a)— 
(1) the Judicial Conference of the United 
States shall maintain a record of each instance in 
which a justice, judge, bankruptcy judge, or mag-
istrate judge was not assigned to a case due to po-
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tential or actual conflicts indicated on a conflicts 
sheet; and 
(2) the clerk of each court shall maintain and 
include in the relevant case docket a record of each 
instance in which a justice, judge, bankruptcy judge, 
or magistrate judge disqualifies after a case assign-
ment is made. 
Æ 
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