[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4419 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4419

   To update the financial disclosure requirements for judges of the 
                      District of Columbia courts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 1, 2016

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To update the financial disclosure requirements for judges of the 
                      District of Columbia courts.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia Judicial 
Financial Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR JUDGES OF DISTRICT OF 
              COLUMBIA COURTS.

    (a) Requirements Described.--Section 11-1530, D.C. Official Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 11-1530. Financial statements
    ``(a) Pursuant to such rules as the Commission shall promulgate, 
each judge of the District of Columbia courts shall, within one year 
following the date of enactment of the District of Columbia Court 
Reorganization Act of 1970 and at least annually thereafter, file with 
the Commission a report containing the following information:
            ``(1)(A) The source, type and amount of the judge's income 
        which exceeds $200 (other than income from the United States 
        government and income referred to in subparagraph (C)) for the 
        period covered by the report.
            ``(B) The source and type of the judge's spouse's income 
        which exceeds $1,000 (other than income from the United States 
        government and income referred to in subparagraph (C)) for the 
        period covered by the report.
            ``(C) The source and type of income which consists of 
        dividends, rents, interest, and capital gains received by the 
        judge and the judge's spouse during such period which exceeds 
        $200 in amount or value, and an indication of which of the 
        following categories the amount or value of such item of income 
        is within--
                    ``(i) not more than $1,000,
                    ``(ii) greater than 1,000 but not more than $2,500,
                    ``(iii) greater than $2,500 but not more than 
                $5,000,
                    ``(iv) greater than $5,000 but not more than 
                $15,000,
                    ``(v) greater than $15,000 but not more than 
                $50,000,
                    ``(vi) greater than $50,000 but not more than 
                $100,000,
                    ``(vii) greater than $100,000 but not more than 
                $1,000,000,
                    ``(viii) greater than $1,000,000 but not more than 
                $5,000,000, or
                    ``(ix) greater than $5,000,000.
            ``(2) The name and address of each private foundation or 
        eleemosynary institution, and of each business or professional 
        corporation, firm, or enterprise in which the judge was an 
        officer, director, proprietor, or partner during such period.
            ``(3) The identity and category of value (as set forth in 
        subsection (b)) of each liability of $10,000 or more owed by 
        the judge or by the judge and the judge's spouse jointly at any 
        time during such period.
            ``(4) The source and value of all gifts in the aggregate 
        amount or value of $250 or more from any single source received 
        by the judge during such period, except gifts from the judge's 
        spouse or any of the judge's children or parents.
            ``(5) The identity of each trust in which the judge held a 
        beneficial interest having a value of $10,000 or more at any 
        time during such period, and in the case of any trust in which 
        the judge held any beneficial interest during such period, the 
        identity, if known, of each interest in real or personal 
        property in which the trust held a beneficial interest having a 
        value of $10,000 or more at any time during such period. If the 
        judge cannot obtain the identity of the trust interest, the 
        judge shall request the trustee to report that information to 
        the Commission.
            ``(6) The identity and category of value (as set forth in 
        subsection (b)) of each interest in real or personal property 
        having a value of $10,000 or more which the judge owned at any 
        time during such period.
            ``(7) The amount or value and source of each honorarium of 
        $250 or more received by the judge and the judge's spouse 
        during such period.
            ``(8) The source and amount of all money, other than that 
        received from the United States government, received in the 
        form of an expense account or as reimbursement for expenditures 
        from any source aggregating more than $250 during such period.
            ``(9) The source and amount of all waivers or partial 
        waivers of fees or charges accepted by the judge on behalf of 
        the judge or the judge's spouse, domestic partner, or guest 
        during such period.
    ``(b) For purposes of paragraphs (3) and (6) of subsection (a), the 
categories of value set forth in this subsection are--
            ``(1) not more than $15,000;
            ``(2) greater than $15,000 but not more than $50,000;
            ``(3) greater than $50,000 but not more than $100,000;
            ``(4) greater than $100,000 but not more than $250,000;
            ``(5) greater than $250,000 but not more than $500,000;
            ``(6) greater than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000;
            ``(7) greater than $1,000,000 but not more than $5,000,000;
            ``(8) greater than $5,000,000 but not more than 
        $25,000,000;
            ``(9) greater than $25,000,000 but not more than 
        $50,000,000; and
            ``(10) greater than $50,000,000.
    ``(c)(1) Reports filed pursuant to this section shall, upon written 
request, and notice to the reporting judge for purposes of making an 
application to the Commission for a redaction pursuant to paragraph 
(2), be made available for public inspection and copying within a 
reasonable time after filing and during the period they are kept by the 
Commission (in accordance with rules promulgated by the Commission), 
and shall be kept by the Commission for not less than three years.
    ``(2) This section does not require the public availability of 
reports filed by a judge if upon application by the reporting judge, a 
finding is made by the Commission that revealing personal and sensitive 
information could endanger that judge or a family member of that judge, 
except that a report may be redacted pursuant to this paragraph only--
            ``(A) to the extent necessary to protect the individual who 
        filed the report or a family member of that individual; and
            ``(B) for as long as the danger to such individual exists.
    ``(d) The intentional failure by a judge of a District of Columbia 
court to file a report required by this section, or the filing of a 
fraudulent report, shall constitute willful misconduct in office and 
shall be grounds for removal from office under section 11-
1526(a)(2).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to reports filed under section 11-1530, D.C. 
Official Code, that cover periods beginning during or after 2016.
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