Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Supreme Court Ethics Act”.
Supreme Court Ethics Act
A BILL
To amend chapter 57 of title 28, United States Code, to provide for a code of conduct for justices and judges of the courts of the United States, establish an Ethics Investigations Counsel, and require disclosure of recusals.
Sec. 2 Code of conduct
In general— Chapter 57 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
“964. Code of conduct
“(a) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall issue a code of conduct that—
“(1) applies to each judge of the courts of the United States; and
“(2) at minimum, incorporates the requirements under section 455.
“(b) Supreme Court—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Supreme Court of the United States shall issue a code of conduct that—
“(1) applies to each justice of the Supreme Court; and
“(2) at minimum, incorporates the requirements under section 455.”
Technical and conforming amendment— The table of sections for chapter 57 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Sec. 3 Establishment of Ethics Investigations Counsel and reporting protocol
In general— Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Supreme Court of the United States issues a code of conduct under section 964(b) of title 28, United States Code, as added by section 2(a) of this Act, the Supreme Court of the United States shall appoint and fix the compensation of an Ethics Investigations Counsel who shall adopt rules providing for the enforcement of the code of conduct, including a process to receive from the public information about potential violations of the code of conduct by justices of the Supreme Court.
Term— The Ethics Investigation Counsel shall serve for a renewable term of 4 years.
Removal— The Ethics Investigation Counsel may be removed for cause by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Process— The process adopted under subsection (a) shall include the establishment of methods for the submission of the information described in subsection (a) in electronic form and by mail.
Investigations— The Ethics Investigations Counsel appointed under this section shall conduct investigations into potential violations of the code of conduct issued under section 964(b) of title 28, United States Code, as added by section 2(a) of this Act, and other conduct prejudicial to the ethical, effective, and expeditious administration of the business of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Assistants— The Ethics Investigations Counsel appointed under this section—
may, with the approval of the Chief Justice of the United States, appoint necessary assistants and fix their compensation; and
may, at the discretion of the Ethics Investigations Counsel, retain the services of attorneys who are not employees of the Federal Government to assist in investigations conducted by the Ethics Investigations Counsel.
Report— The Ethics Investigations Counsel appointed under this section shall issue an annual public report describing the information about potential violations of the code of conduct described in subsection (a) and any steps taken to investigate, resolve, or rehabilitate the conduct described in the information.
Sec. 4 Recusal of Justices
In general— In any case in which a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States disqualifies himself or herself in a proceeding under section 455 of title 28, United States Code, the justice shall disclose in the public record of the proceeding the reasons for the disqualification.
Denial of motion To disqualify— If a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States denies a motion brought by a party to a proceeding before the Court that the justice should be disqualified in the proceeding under section 455 of title 28, United States Code, the justice shall disclose in the public record of the proceeding the reasons for the denial of the motion.