SECTION 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as the “Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act”.
Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SEC. 2. Periodic Transaction Reports and Online Publication of Financial Disclosure Reports of Federal Judges.
Periodic Transaction Reporting Requirement for Federal Judges.—
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.”
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.
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—
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
“(c) Online Publication of Financial Disclosure Reports of Federal Judges.—
“(1) Establishment of database.—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 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.—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.”
Technical and Conforming Amendments.—
Section 103(l) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) (as amended by subsection (a)(1)) is amended—
in paragraph (9), by striking “ , as defined under section 109(12)”; and
in paragraph (10), by striking “ , as defined under section 109(13)”.
Section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) (as amended by subsection (b)) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), by striking “ be revealing” and inserting “ by revealing”; and
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
in the first sentence, by striking “ be,,” and inserting “ be,”; and
in the third sentence, by striking “ may be may” and inserting “ may be, may”; and
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”.
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)”.