I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1960 
To require the Supreme Court of the United States to promulgate a code 
of ethics. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 5, 2017 
Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. 
BROWNLEY of California, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. COSTA, Mr. 
CROWLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. KELLY 
of Illinois, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LIPINSKI, Ms. MICHELLE 
LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SCOTT 
of Virginia, Mr. SWALWELL
of California, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, and Mr. YARMUTH) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require the Supreme Court of the United States to 
promulgate a code of ethics. 
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 ‘‘Supreme Court Ethics 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) In Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., 556 
U.S. 868 (2009), Justice Kennedy, writing for the 
Court, stated that ‘‘[judicial codes of conduct] serve 
to maintain the integrity of the judiciary and the 
rule of law’’. 
(2) The Code of Conduct for United States 
Judges (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘‘Code’’) applies to all Federal judges except Justices 
of the Supreme Court. Justices of the Supreme 
Court are not formally bound by any code of con-
duct. Chief Justice John Roberts noted in the 2011 
Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary that 
while the Judicial Conference, which promulgates 
the Code, does not have authority to bind the Su-
preme Court, the Code is nonetheless ‘‘the starting 
point and a key source of guidance for the Justices 
as well as their lower court colleagues’’. 
(3) Congress has the authority to regulate the 
administration of the Supreme Court of the United 
States. For example, Congress sets the number of 
justices who sit on the Supreme Court and how 
many constitute a quorum, the term of the court, 
meaning the dates the court will be in session, and 
the salaries of the Justices. Additionally, the Ethics 
in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) requires 
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most high-level Federal officials in all 3 branches, 
including the President, Vice President, cabinet 
members, Justices of the Supreme Court, and Mem-
bers of Congress, to file annual financial disclosure 
statements. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to apply 
a code of ethics to Justices who sit on the Supreme Court 
of the United States, being mindful of their preeminence 
in the Federal judiciary. 
SEC. 3. SUPREME COURT CODE OF ETHICS. 
The Supreme Court of the United States shall, not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of 
the Supreme Court that shall include the 5 canons of the 
Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the 
Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amend-
ments or modifications thereto that the Supreme Court 
determines appropriate. 
Æ 
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