Pardon Disclosure Act
Bill: H.R.8191 | Sponsor: Rep. Torres, Ritchie (D-NY)
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
Pardon Disclosure Act
This bill retroactively requires Members of Congress who request presidential pardons for themselves or on behalf of other individuals, and individuals who receive such requests, to disclose the requests to the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate or the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives, as applicable. The disclosure requirements apply to requests made or received beginning on January 1, 2021.

To require a Member of Congress who makes and any individual who 
receives a request from a Member of Congress for a presidential pardon 
to disclose the request to the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate 
  or the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pardon Disclosure Act''.

SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF PRESIDENTIAL PARDON REQUESTS TO CONGRESSIONAL 
              ETHICS COMMITTEES.

    (a) Disclosure Requirement.--If a Member of Congress makes a 
request for a presidential pardon to be granted to the Member or to any 
other individual, the Member who made the request and any individual 
who receives the request from the Member shall each disclose the 
request to the supervising ethics committee in accordance with the 
requirements under subsection (b).
    (b) Deadline for Disclosure.--A Member of Congress who makes a 
request described in subsection (a) or any individual who receives a 
request described in subsection (a) shall each disclose such request to 
the supervising ethics committee--
            (1) in the case of any such request made or received after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, not later than 30 days 
        after the date such request is made or received; and
            (2) in the case of any such request made or received during 
        the period that begins on January 1, 2021, and ends on the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, not later than 30 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Civil Enforcement.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General may bring a civil 
        action in an appropriate district court of the United States 
        against any person who violates, or whom the Attorney General 
        has reason to believe is engaging in conduct that violates, 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Civil penalty.--
                    (A) In general.--If the court finds by a 
                preponderance of the evidence that a person violated 
                subsection (a), the court shall impose against the 
                person a civil penalty of not more than $100,000.
                    (B) Rule of construction.--A civil penalty under 
                this subsection may be in addition to any other 
                criminal or civil statutory, common law, or 
                administrative remedy available to the United States.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Member of congress.--The term ``Member of Congress'' 
        includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress.
            (2) Supervising ethics committee.--The term ``supervising 
        ethics committee'' means--
                    (A) in the case of any request described in 
                subsection (a) with respect to a Member of the Senate, 
                the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate; and
                    (B) in the case of any request described in 
                subsection (a) with respect to a Member of the House of 
                Representatives, the Committee on Ethics of the House 
                of Representatives.

SEC. 3. RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENTIAL PARDON 
              DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT.

    Clause 2 of rule XXVI of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting ``, except 
that Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner shall also 
include in each annual financial disclosure report required under such 
title the disclosure of any request made by the Member, Delegate, or 
Resident Commissioner for a presidential pardon to be granted to the 
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner or to any other 
individual.''.
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