To amend title 28, United States Code, to prohibit Presidents and Vice Presidents from receiving damages payments from the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsored By: Representative Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Introduced
Summary
Would ban damages payments to current and former Presidents and Vice Presidents. This bill would bar those officials, their spouses, dependent children, and related trusts or entities from recovering or directing any damages or similar payments from the United States, and it pairs that ban with strict procedures, public reporting, and civil and criminal penalties.
Show full summary
- Defines who is covered. It lists the President, the Vice President, a former President in a specific succession situation, spouses and dependent children, and trusts or entities set up for their benefit.
- Limits claims and court awards. It would stop covered individuals from filing administrative claims or getting payments, prevent agencies from processing such claims, and allow courts to award only actual compensatory damages when an independent counsel is appointed and the agency cooperates. All filings and contemporaneous audio must be posted online and enforcement actions must begin within 10 years.
- Creates penalties and guardrails. Willful recoveries can trigger disgorgement, civil penalties up to $1.0 million or the amount paid, and up to 5 years in prison. Agency officials who cause violations face fines and jail time as well.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Ban on federal payments to Presidents
This bill would bar the President, Vice President, many spouses, dependent children, and some trusts tied to them from getting damages or other payments from the United States. A former President would be covered only if that former President's former Vice President is the current President. The ban would stop settlements, consent decrees, administrative resolutions, and similar arrangements from giving money or reimbursements to these people or sending such money to third parties. Willful violations could require giving money back, a civil fine equal to the larger of $1,000,000 or the total payments, and up to 5 years in prison. A federal officer or employee who willfully causes an agency to process a banned claim could face up to $50,000 in fines and up to 6 months in jail. The bill would set a 10-year limit to bring enforcement actions and would pause other claim time limits while someone is a covered individual and until the day after their term ends. The ban would apply to any request, processing, or recovery that happens after enactment, no matter when the underlying claim arose.
Rules for presidential lawsuits and transparency
This bill would limit what courts and agencies can do in claims by covered individuals. Courts could only award actual or compensatory damages, and only if the covered person agrees to a court-appointed independent counsel who can be removed only for cause and the agency cooperates. Courts would have to post filings, proceedings, and contemporaneous audio online for free. For former covered people, agencies would need an expert career employee (removable only for good cause) to lead review, bar any agency staff appointed by the covered person from working on the claim, publish settlement terms and any payment details in the Federal Register within 7 days, and send the claim to certain congressional committees before deciding.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/15/2026
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/28/2026
Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/28/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov