Federal RuleAug 21
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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-hr-9688119th Congress
High Court Gift Ban Act
Sponsored By: Representative Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Introduced
Summary
Strict limits on gifts to federal judges. This bill would ban most gifts to judicial officers by setting a $50 per-gift value cap and a $100 annual cap per source, while listing specific exceptions.
Show full summary
- Judicial officers: The bill would prohibit accepting a gift unless the officer reasonably believes it is worth less than $50 and the total from the same source that calendar year is $100 or less. It carves out exceptions for items bought at fair market value, unused gifts promptly returned, gifts from relatives or other judges, honorary degrees and awards from educational institutions, broadly available benefits, and certain event reimbursements.
- Relatives and donors: A gift to a relative counts as a gift to the judicial officer if given with the officer’s knowledge and with reason to believe it was given because of the officer’s official position.
- Enforcement and penalties: The Judicial Conference or designated officials can refer suspected violations to the Attorney General and notify the circuit judicial council. The bill authorizes civil penalties and criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations and requires implementation rules within 180 days.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
New gift limits for judges
If enacted, the bill would bar most gifts to Federal judges and justices unless strict dollar limits are met. A judge could accept a single gift only if they reasonably believe it is worth under $50 and the same source has given no more than $100 total in that calendar year. The bill would allow exceptions, including gifts the judge pays fair market value for, promptly returned unused items, gifts from relatives or other judges, honorary degrees paid by an educational institution that invited the judge, broadly available opportunities, and certain loans or membership fee reductions. Personal hospitality at a private home would be allowed only if the host is not a prohibited source and the hospitality value is at or below the yearly IRS section 2503(b) amount. Reimbursement for seminar travel, meals, and lodging would be allowed only if the event is not organized, paid for, or sponsored by a prohibited source and the total reimbursement is $2,000 or less, unless the Chief Justice or an appropriate chief judge gives a written waiver. The bill would define prohibited sources and attribute some gifts to judges when given to relatives with the judge's knowledge.
Penalties and referrals for judges
If enacted, the bill would let the Attorney General sue in federal court for violations of the gift ban and seek civil penalties like those in the cited ethics law. Knowing and willful violations would be subject to the criminal penalties referenced in the same cited section. The Judicial Conference or designated officials would have to refer to the Attorney General any judge they have reasonable cause to believe accepted a prohibited gift. The Conference would also notify the judicial council for the judge's circuit when making a referral. The bill would say nothing here overrides other gift bans in law or regulation.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/28/2026
Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7]
TX • D
Sponsored 9/28/2026
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 9/28/2026
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
ME • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
NC • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
WA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]
NM • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]
IN • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
TN • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]
TX • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
CT • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov