I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6017 
To amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the establishment 
of a code of conduct for the justices of the Supreme Court, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2020 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Mr. QUIGLEY, and Mr. NADLER) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the 
establishment of a code of conduct for the justices of 
the Supreme Court, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Twenty-First Century 
Courts Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE SUPREME COURT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 16 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 365. Code of conduct 
‘‘(a) Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Supreme Court of the 
United States shall, after appropriate public notice and 
opportunity for comment, promulgate a code of conduct 
for the justices of the Supreme Court. 
‘‘(b) The Supreme Court may modify the code of con-
duct after giving appropriate public notice and oppor-
tunity for comment.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘365. Code of conduct.’’. 
SEC. 3. EXPLANATION FOR DISQUALIFICATION OF JUS-
TICES, JUDGES, AND MAGISTRATE JUDGES. 
Section 455 of title 28, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) PUBLICATION OF REASONS FOR DISQUALIFICA-
TION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any matter 
in which a justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the 
United States disqualifies himself or herself under 
this section, the clerk of the court shall publish time-
ly notice of the disqualification on the website of the 
court, with a brief explanation of each reason for the 
disqualification. 
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‘‘(2) SPECIFICATION OF CIRCUMSTANCE.—The 
explanation of the reason for the disqualification 
shall include a specific identification of each cir-
cumstance under any paragraph of subsection (b) 
that resulted in disqualification and may be limited 
to an identification of the category of circumstance. 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—This subsection does not 
apply to the extent that the reason for the disquali-
fication involves a matter of medical health or, at 
the discretion of the Judicial Conference, that the 
personal privacy of a justice, judge, or magistrate 
judge of the United States could be unduly com-
promised.’’. 
SEC. 4. ONLINE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS. 
Section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 
(5 U.S.C. App. 105) is amended by inserting at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(e)(1) Not later than 90 days after a report is filed 
under this title by an individual described in section 
109(10), the Judicial Conference shall make such report 
available in a full text searchable, sortable, and 
downloadable format on the website of the Administrative 
Office of the United States Courts. 
‘‘(2) Any report published pursuant to paragraph (1) 
shall not contain any information that is otherwise re-
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quired by law, rule, or regulation to be redacted from such 
report. 
‘‘(3) Not later than 6 months after the date of enact-
ment of the Twenty-First Century Courts Act, the Judi-
cial Conference shall prescribe a form for use in collecting 
information for such reports substantially similar to any 
form employed by the Director of the Office of Govern-
ment Ethics on a Government-wide basis for agencies.’’. 
SEC. 5. AUDIO 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: 
‘‘§ 50. Internet publication of certain audio record-
ings 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date de-
scribed in subsection (b), the proceedings of each hearing 
of a court of appeals shall be made available for public 
transmission over the internet— 
‘‘(1) to the extent practicable, in real time dur-
ing such hearing; and 
‘‘(2) for not less than 2 years after the conclu-
sion of such hearing. 
‘‘(b) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date described in the 
subsection is— 
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‘‘(1) in the case of a court of appeals sitting en 
banc, one year after the date of the enactment of 
this section; and 
‘‘(2) in the case of a panel of a court of appeals 
(other than as described in paragraph (1)), 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this section. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTION.—The requirement under subsection 
(a) shall not apply in the case that the courtroom is closed 
to the public. 
‘‘(d) COPYRIGHT PROTECTION NOT AVAILABLE.—An 
audio 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) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for such chapter is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘50. Internet publication of certain audio recordings.’’. 
(b) SUPREME COURT.— 
(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 audio recordings 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each oral argument and opinion 
reading before the Supreme Court shall be made available 
for public transmission over the internet— 
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‘‘(1)(A) on the day of such oral argument and 
opinion reading, by not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this section; and 
‘‘(B) in real time during such oral argument 
and opinion reading, by not later than 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of this section; and 
‘‘(2) for not less than 2 years after the conclu-
sion of such oral argument and opinion reading. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—The requirement under sub-
section (a) shall not apply in the case that the courtroom 
is closed to the public. 
‘‘(c) COPYRIGHT PROTECTION NOT AVAILABLE.—An 
audio 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) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for such chapter is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘7. Internet publication of certain audio recordings.’’. 
SEC. 6. MODERNIZATION OF ELECTRONIC CASE MANAGE-
MENT SYSTEMS. 
(a) CONSOLIDATION.—Not later than the date speci-
fied in subsection (e), the Director of the Administrative 
Office of the United States Courts, in coordination with 
the Administrator of General Services, shall establish, 
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maintain, and operate, consistent with the requirements 
of this section and section 7 of this Act, one system all 
public court records. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS OF SYSTEM.—The system devel-
oped under subsection (a) shall comply with the following 
requirements: 
(1) The system shall provide search functions, 
developed in coordination with the Administrator of 
General Services, by the public and by parties before 
the court. 
(2) Any information that is prohibited from 
public disclosure by law or court order shall be re-
dacted. 
(3) Any information made available through a 
website established pursuant to section 205 of the 
E-Government Act of 2002 shall be included in the 
system. 
(4) Any website for the system shall substan-
tially comply with the requirements under sub-
sections (b) and (c) of section 205 of the E-Govern-
ment Act of 2002. 
(5) To the extent practicable, external websites 
shall be able to link to documents on the system. 
Each website established pursuant to section 205 of 
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the E-Government Act of 2002 shall contain a link 
to the system. 
(c) DATA STANDARDS.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF DATA STANDARDS.— 
The Director of the Administrative Office of the 
United States Courts, in coordination with the Ad-
ministrator of General Services and the Archivist of 
the United States, shall establish data standards for 
the system established under subsection (a). 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The data standards es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent 
reasonable and practicable— 
(A) incorporate widely accepted common 
data elements; 
(B) incorporate a widely accepted, non-
proprietary, full text searchable, platform-inde-
pendent computer-readable format; and 
(C) be capable of being continually up-
graded as necessary. 
(3) DEADLINES.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
of the Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts shall issue guidance to all Federal courts on 
the data standards established under subsection (a). 
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(d) USE OF TECHNOLOGY.—In developing the system 
under subsection (a), the Director shall use modern tech-
nology in order— 
(1) to improve security, data accessibility, af-
fordability, and performance; and 
(2) to minimize the burden on pro se litigants. 
(e) DATE SPECIFIED.—The date specified in this 
subsection is the date that is 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, unless the Administrator of 
General Services certifies to Congress, by not later than 
90 days after such date of enactment, that an additional 
period of time is required. If the Administrator so cer-
tifies, the date specified in this subsection is the date that 
is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(f) FUNDING.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Ju-
diciary Appropriations Act, 1992 (title III of 
Public Law 102–140; 105 Stat. 807) (28 
U.S.C. 1913 note) is amended— 
(i) in subsection (a), by inserting 
‘‘The Judicial Conference shall prescribe a 
schedule of additional fees for any person 
who accrues such fees for access in an 
amount of $25,000 or greater in any quar-
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ter. All fees collected shall be deposited as 
offsetting collections to the Judiciary In-
formation Technology Fund pursuant to 
section 612(c)(1)(A) of title 28, United 
States Code, to reimburse expenses in-
curred in carrying out section 6 of the 
Twenty-First Century Courts Act.’’ before 
‘‘The Director of the Administrative Office 
of the United States Courts’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘All 
fees hereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 
otherwise provided in this section, all fees 
hereafter’’. 
(B) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The amendment 
made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect on 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 303 of the Ju-
diciary Appropriations Act, 1992 (title III of 
Public Law 102–140; 105 Stat. 807) (28 
U.S.C. 1913 note) is amended by striking sub-
sections (a) and (b), and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 303. (a)(1) To cover the costs of carrying out 
section 6 of the Twenty-First Century Courts Act, the Ju-
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dicial Conference may, only to the extent necessary, pre-
scribe reasonable filing fees, pursuant to sections 1913, 
1914, 1926, 1930, and 1932 of title 28, United States 
Code, for collection by the courts under those sections. 
‘‘(2) The filing fees prescribed under paragraph (1) 
shall be based on the extent of the use by the person filing 
of the system established under such section 6 for pur-
poses of such action, and shall in addition be adjusted 
based on factors including the nature of the action and 
claim for relief, the amount of damages demanded, the 
estimated complexity of the type of action, and the inter-
ests of justice. Filing fees may be prescribed for the filing 
of a counterclaim. Pro se litigants and litigants who certify 
their financial hardship shall not be subject to the filing 
fees. 
‘‘(b) The Judicial Conference and the Director shall 
transmit each schedule of fees prescribed under subsection 
(a) to Congress at least 90 days before the schedule be-
comes effective. All fees collected under subsection (a) 
shall be deposited as offsetting collections to the Judiciary 
Information Technology Fund pursuant to section 
612(c)(1)(A) of title 28, United States Code, to reimburse 
expenses incurred in carrying out section 6 of the Twenty- 
First Century Courts Act.’’. 
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