A Democratic bill with 5 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act," proposes changes to title 28 of the United States Code. It seeks to create two new entities within the Supreme Court: an Office of Ethics Counsel and an Office of Investigative Counsel. The Ethics Counsel would provide guidance to justices and their spouses on various ethical matters. The Investigative Counsel would be tasked with reviewing and investigating ethics complaints against justices. Additionally, the bill establishes specific staffing requirements, pay rates, and subpoena powers for these offices.
Yes
- Scored +7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill enhances transparency by requiring annual reports on ethics advice and providing a mechanism for investigating complaints.
- Scored +5
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill increases federal oversight of the Supreme Court by establishing internal offices for ethics and investigations.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Guidance on Ethics: The Office of Ethics Counsel is designed to advise justices and their spouses on critical matters such as financial disclosures, gifts, political activity, and conflicts of interest (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Mandatory Training: To ensure awareness, the bill requires a biannual training course for each justice regarding judicial ethics (Section 2(c)).
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Increased Accountability through Reporting: The chief ethics counsel must submit an annual report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees regarding the advice provided, which includes whether that advice was followed (Section 2(d)).
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Formal Complaint Process: The bill establishes a process where specific leadership in Congress can file ethics complaints against justices for review (Section 3(c)(1)).
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Investigative Authority: The Office of Investigative Counsel is granted subpoena power to compel witnesses to testify and produce documents or records relevant to investigations (Section 3(b)(1)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Burdens on Justices and Spouses: The Office of Investigative Counsel has the authority to review and investigate ethics complaints that arise from the actions of a justice's spouse or dependents (Section 3(a)(2)).
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Potential for Unwanted Investigations: The Office of Investigative Counsel is empowered to review complaints and potentially open full investigations into the conduct of justices (Section 3(c)(2-3)).
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Legal Pressure via Subpoenas: The Chief Investigative Counsel has the power to issue subpoenas to compel individuals to appear and produce evidence, and failure to obey a court order regarding these subpoenas can result in contempt of court charges (Section 3(b)(1)(A-B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill enhances transparency by requiring annual reports on ethics advice and providing a mechanism for investigating complaints. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight of the Supreme Court by establishing internal offices for ethics and investigations.
- 2/25/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont