Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act
Bill: S.3059 | Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John (R-TX)
Policy area: Law

Summary:
Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act
This bill requires federal judicial officers, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges to file periodic transaction reports disclosing certain securities transactions. The bill also requires online publication of judicial financial disclosure reports.
Specifically, the bill requires federal judicial officers, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges to file reports within 45 days after a purchase, sale, or exchange that exceeds $1,000 in stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and other forms of securities.
Additionally, the bill directs the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish a searchable internet database of judicial financial disclosure reports. The office must, within 90 days of the date by which a report must be filed, make the report available on the database in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format.
The bill does not require the immediate and unconditional availability of reports filed by a judicial officer or employee if the Judicial Conference finds that revealing personal and sensitive formation could endanger that individual or a family member of that individual.

[117th Congress Public Law 125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 1205]]

Public Law 117-125
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to provide for a periodic 
transaction reporting requirement for Federal judicial officers and the 
 online publication of financial disclosure reports of Federal judicial 
 officers, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: May 13, 2022 -  [S. 3059]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Courthouse 
Ethics and Transparency Act.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 5 USC app. 101 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Courthouse Ethics and Transparency 
Act''.
SEC. 2. PERIODIC TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ONLINE PUBLICATION OF 
                    FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS OF FEDERAL 
                    JUDGES.

    (a) Periodic Transaction Reporting Requirement for Federal Judges.--
            (1) In general.--Section 103(l) of the Ethics in Government 
        Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
            ``(11) Each judicial officer.
            ``(12) Each bankruptcy judge appointed under section 152 of 
        title 28, United States Code.
            ``(13) Each United States magistrate judge appointed under 
        section 631 of title 28, United States Code.''.
            (2) <<NOTE: Applicability. Deadline. 5 USC app. 103 note.>>  
        Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply 
        to applicable transactions occurring on or after the date that 
        is 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

    (b) Online Publication of Financial Disclosure Reports of Federal 
Judges.--Section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
App.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
        (d) and (e), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

    ``(c) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>>  Online Publication of Financial 
Disclosure Reports of Federal Judges.--
            ``(1) Establishment of database. <<NOTE: Website.>> --
        Subject to paragraph (4), not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, the 
        Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall 
        establish a searchable internet database to enable public access 
        to any report required to be filed under this title by a 
        judicial officer, bankruptcy judge, or magistrate judge.
            ``(2) Availability.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
        on which a report is required to be filed under this title by a 
        judicial officer, bankruptcy judge, or magistrate judge, the

[[Page 136 STAT. 1206]]

        Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall make the 
        report available on the database established under paragraph (1) 
        in a full-text searchable, sortable, and downloadable format for 
        access by the public.
            ``(3) Redaction. <<NOTE: Web posting.>> --Any report made 
        available on the database established under paragraph (1) shall 
        not contain any information that is redacted in accordance with 
        subsection (b)(3).
            ``(4) Additional time.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                requirements of this subsection may be implemented after 
                the date described in paragraph (1) if the 
                Administrative Office of the United States Courts 
                identifies in writing to the relevant committees of 
                Congress the additional time needed for that 
                implementation.
                    ``(B) Publication requirement.--The Administrative 
                Office of the United States Courts shall continue to 
                make the reports described in paragraph (1) available to 
                the public during the period in which the Administrative 
                Office of the United States Courts establishes the 
                database under this subsection.''.

    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 103(l) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 
        (5 U.S.C. App.) (as amended by subsection (a)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (9), by striking ``, as defined 
                under section 109(12)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (10), by striking ``, as defined 
                under section 109(13)''.
            (2) Section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 
        U.S.C. App.) (as amended by subsection (b)) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``be 
                revealing'' and inserting ``by revealing''; and
                    (B) in subsection (b)--
                          (i) in paragraph (1)--
                                    (I) in the first sentence, by 
                                striking ``be,,'' and inserting ``be,''; 
                                and
                                    (II) in the third sentence, by 
                                striking ``may be may'' and inserting 
                                ``may be, may''; and
                          (ii) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking 
                      ``described in section 109(8) or 109(10) of this 
                      Act'' and inserting ``who is a judicial officer or 
                      a judicial employee''.

[[Page 136 STAT. 1206]]

            (3) Section 107(a)(1) of the Ethics in Government Act of 
        1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended in the last sentence by striking 
        ``and (d)'' and inserting ``and (e)''.

    Approved May 13, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 3059 (H.R. 5720):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 117-199 (Comm. on the Judiciary) accompanying
H.R. 5720.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            Feb. 17, considered and passed Senate.
            Apr. 27, considered and passed House.

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