Bill · H.R. 9408· House(119-HR-9408)
Open Meetings Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 6/23/2026
- Last activity
- 6/23/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Henry Johnson
- Cosponsors
- - 10 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Open Meetings Act of 2026," seeks to amend chapter 15 of title 28 of the United States Code. It establishes new documentation requirements for meetings of certain conferences and councils. The legislation requires the Judicial Conference to publish notice of covered meetings, including the date, time, place, and agenda. It also mandates live audio streaming of these meetings to be accessible to the public for free. Additionally, the bill requires the maintenance of an archive of these audio streams.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+8
The bill mandates public notice of meeting agendas and live audio streaming of judicial conference meetings.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill provides free access to judicial meeting audio streams without requiring registration or fees.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency through Notice Requirements: The Judicial Conference would be required to publish notice of covered meetings on its website, including the date, time, place, and agenda, at least 30 days in advance (Sec. 2(b)(1)).
-
Public Accessibility via Live Audio: Every covered meeting must provide live audio streaming that the public can access without needing to pay a fee or register (Sec. 2(c)(1)).
-
Access to Historical Records: The Judicial Conference must maintain an archive of live audio streams and publish them on its website within 7 days after the meeting, accessible to the public without charge or registration (Sec. 2(c)(2)-(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Potential for Closed Sessions: A conference or council may resolve into a closed session by a majority vote if they determine it is appropriate for considering sensitive or confidential matters (Sec. 2(c)(4)(A)(ii)).
-
Legal Prohibitions on Publication: Meetings must resolve into a closed session if the publication of the matter at issue is prohibited by law (Sec. 2(c)(4)(A)(i)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+8
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/29/2026
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- 6/23/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 6 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Christopher DeluzioDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Dwight EvansDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Jesús GarcíaDemocrat · Illinois
Raja KrishnamoorthiDemocrat · Illinois
Summer LeeDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Delia RamirezDemocrat · Illinois
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan