Bill · S. 5121· Senate(119-S-5121)
Supreme Court Ethics Act
- Introduced
- 7/23/2026
- Last activity
- 7/23/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Christopher Murphy
- Cosponsors
- - 13 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Supreme Court Ethics Act aims to amend title 28 of the United States Code regarding judicial conduct. It requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue a code of conduct for all federal judges. Additionally, it mandates that the Supreme Court issue its own code of conduct for its justices. The bill establishes an Ethics Investigations Counsel to enforce these rules and investigate potential violations. This counsel is tasked with creating a process for the public to report potential misconduct. Finally, the act requires Supreme Court justices to disclose reasons for their recusals or for denying disqualification motions.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+7
The bill mandates annual public reports on ethics violations and requires justices to disclose reasons for recusal decisions.
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+4
The bill increases judicial transparency regarding the reasons for disqualification or denial of disqualification motions.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Establishment of a Code of Conduct: The bill requires the Judicial Conference and the Supreme Court to issue codes of conduct that incorporate specific requirements under section 455 (Section 2). This creates a standardized set of ethical rules for judges and justices.
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Public Accountability through Investigations: The creation of an Ethics Investigations Counsel allows for investigations into potential violations of the code of conduct or conduct prejudicial to the administration of the Supreme Court (Section 3(e)).
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Public Reporting: The Ethics Investigations Counsel must issue an annual public report detailing information about potential violations and the steps taken to address them (Section 3(g)). This provides the public with transparency regarding ethical issues.
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Public Input Mechanisms: The Ethics Investigations Counsel is required to adopt rules for receiving information from the public regarding potential violations of the code of conduct (Section 3(a)).
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Increased Transparency in Recusals: Justices must disclose their reasons for disqualifying themselves from a proceeding (Section 4(a)). Furthermore, if a justice denies a motion to be disqualified, they must disclose the reasons for that denial in the public record (Section 4(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Removal of Counsel: The Ethics Investigations Counsel can be removed for cause by the Supreme Court of the United States (Section 3(c)).
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+7Improves Due Process+4
- 7/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 14 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont