# 119-hr-10390: Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act of 2026

119-hr-10390, Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5] (R-WI); status introduced (as of 2026-10-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10390
- As of: 2026-10-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10390
- Congress: 119
- Title: Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5] (R-WI)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-01

## Summary

**Limits judicial suspensions and creates faster, clearer procedures for misconduct cases.** The bill would impose strict deadlines on suspension orders, add rules to transfer proceedings between circuits, require congressional notice of key actions, and expand when and where judges or complainants can seek appellate review. - Judges: Judicial councils would have to act within one year to end a suspension, renew it for up to one year, or ask the judge to retire. No suspension could last more than two years total. - Complainants and accused judges: The bill would broaden who can petition for review and allow limited appellate review when cumulative suspensions exceed one year, with venue set by the Chief Justice in a different circuit. - Oversight and process: Councils must promptly notify the House and Senate Judiciary Committees about certain actions. The measure also creates a process to transfer proceedings between circuits when doing so would protect public confidence and judicial independence.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger recusal rule for discipline cases: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require judges handling chapter 16 proceedings to step aside when their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. This would apply to judges who preside over disciplinary or disability matters under chapter 16. The rule is meant to promote fair and impartial decisionma…
- Transfer of judge complaints between circuits: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let some chapter 16 proceedings move to a different federal circuit. For complaints against circuit judges, a chief judge must ask the Chief Justice to transfer the case if the chief judge does not dismiss or conclude it. A chief judge or council could also request transf…
- Limits and notices for judge suspensions: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would make new rules for suspensions of federal judges in chapter 16 cases. A council or the Judicial Conference would have one year to end a suspension, renew it for at most one more year, or ask the judge to retire. No suspension or renewal could last more than two years in t…
- New appeals and review rules for suspensions: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would create clearer review paths for chapter 16 actions. A judge could get exclusive court-of-appeals review of a suspension only if the initial order plus any renewals total more than one year. That appeal would go to a circuit chosen by the Chief Justice that is not the judg…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4312: SCORE Act
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act
- 119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-10582: Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-10390 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10390)

## Related
- [119-hr-4312: SCORE Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4312)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6955)
- [119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6766)
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-10582: Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10582)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10390 (as of 2026-10-01).