Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act of 2022

Bill: 117-s-4455
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2022-06-22
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing

Federal officials

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Supreme Court
Latest action: action_date: 2022-06-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-06-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act of 2022</b></p> <p>This bill establishes new federal crimes for the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information by officers or employees of the Supreme Court. </p> <p>Specifically, the bill prohibits an officer or employee of the Supreme Court from knowingly publishing, divulging, disclosing, or making known in any manner or to any extent not authorized by law any confidential information coming to that officer or employee in the course of the employment or official duties of that officer or employee. </p> <p>A violation is subject to criminal penalties. Additionally, property involved in a violation or attempted violation, or which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to a violation, is subject to civil forfeiture. </p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4455 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 22, 2022 Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mrs. Hyde-Smith , and Mr. Rubio ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for penalties for the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information by officers or employees of the Supreme Court, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act of 2022 . 2. Obstruction of Supreme Court deliberations (a) In general Chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 1522. Obstruction of Supreme Court deliberations (a) Definition In this section, the term confidential information includes— (1) internal notes on cases heard by the Supreme Court of the United States; (2) any communication between the Chief Justice of the United States or an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and an employee or officer of the Supreme Court on a matter pending before the Supreme Court; (3) a communication between officers and employees of the Supreme Court of the United States on a matter pending before the Supreme Court; (4) a draft opinion or a final opinion prior to the date on which such opinion is released to the public; (5) personal information of the Chief Justice of the United States or an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States that is not otherwise legally available to the public; and (6) any other information designated to be confidential by the Chief Justice of the United States prior to the date on which a violation of subsection (b) occurs. (b) Prohibition It shall be unlawful for any person, while serving as an officer or employee of the Supreme Court, to knowingly publish, divulge, disclose, or make known in any manner or to any extent not authorized by law any confidential information coming to that officer or employee in the course of the employment or official duties of that officer or employee. (c) Criminal penalties (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), any individual who violates, or conspires to violate, subsection (b) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years and fined under this title. (2) Internal notes Any individual who violates, or conspires to violate, subsection (a) with confidential information described in subsection (a)(1) shall be fined $10,000. . (b) Civil forfeiture Section 981(a)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (J) Any property, real or personal, involved in a violation or attempted violation, or which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to a violation, of section 1522. . (c) Table of contents The table of sections for chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 1522. Obstruction of Supreme Court deliberations. .