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Read. Follow. Verify.The Justice is BLIND Act of 2023
Last action · May 18, 2023: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Sponsor: Adam Schiff
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill requires federal judges, justices, and their immediate families to place certain financial assets into a to prevent potential conflicts of interest. It mandates written attestations of compliance and requires these records to be made publicly available online.
The bill would change how federal judges manage their personal investments, requiring them to relinquish control over individual stocks, commodities, and s while serving on the bench.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Federal judges and justices
They must transfer specific financial assets into blind trusts and provide public attestations of compliance.
Spouses and dependent children of federal judges
Their financial assets are subject to the same blind trust requirements as the judge, unless the assets are part of their primary occupation.
Key Facts
- Requires federal justices, judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges to place 'covered financial interests' into a qualified blind trust.
- Applies to the financial interests of the judge, their spouse, and their dependent children.
- Judges currently in office must comply within 90 days of the bill's effective date.
- New judges must comply within 90 days of assuming office.
Show all 10 facts
- Assets must remain in the blind trust until 180 days after the judge leaves office.
- Judges must provide written attestation of compliance within 15 days of establishing the trust.
- Attestations must be published on a searchable public database managed by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
- Exempts assets that are part of a spouse or dependent child's primary occupation compensation.
- Exempts diversified investment funds and U.S. Treasury securities from the blind trust requirement.
- Defines 'covered financial interest' as securities, commodities, futures, or derivative-based economic interests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to all investments held by a judge?
Can a judge keep their assets in the trust after they retire?
Where can the public see if a judge is in compliance?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Financial Disclosure
The bill moves beyond simple disclosure of assets to active management restrictions (blind trusts) for the federal judiciary.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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