[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4405 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.4405
One Hundred Nineteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-five
An Act
To require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in
possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein, and
for other purposes.
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 ``Epstein Files Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Attorney General shall, subject to subsection (b),
make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all
unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative
materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices,
that relate to:
(1) Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations, prosecutions,
or custodial matters.
(2) Ghislaine Maxwell.
(3) Flight logs or travel records, including but not limited to
manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs or immigration
documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or vehicle owned,
operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any related entity.
(4) Individuals, including government officials, named or
referenced in connection with Epstein's criminal activities, civil
settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory
proceedings.
(5) Entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or governmental)
with known or alleged ties to Epstein's trafficking or financial
networks.
(6) Any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea
bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his
associates.
(7) Internal DOJ communications, including emails, memos,
meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge,
investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his associates.
(8) All communications, memoranda, directives, logs, or
metadata concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration,
misplacement, or concealment of documents, recordings, or
electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his detention
and death, or any investigative files.
(9) Documentation of Epstein's detention or death, including
incident reports, witness interviews, medical examiner files,
autopsy reports, and written records detailing the circumstances
and cause of death.
(b) Prohibited Grounds for Withholding.--
(1) No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the
basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political
sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure,
or foreign dignitary.
(c) Permitted Withholdings.--
(1) The Attorney general may withhold or redact the segregable
portions of records that--
(A) contain personally identifiable information of victims
or victims' personal and medical files and similar files the
disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy;
(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)
as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited under 18 U.S.C.
2252-2252A;
(C) would jeopardize an active federal investigation or
ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly
tailored and temporary;
(D) depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or
injury of any person; or
(E) contain information specifically authorized under
criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in
the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are in
fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order.
(2) All redactions must be accompanied by a written
justification published in the Federal Register and submitted to
Congress.
(3) To the extent that any covered information would otherwise
be redacted or withheld as classified information under this
section, the Attorney General shall declassify that classified
information to the maximum extent possible.
(A) If the Attorney General makes a determination that
covered information may not be declassified and made available
in a manner that protects the national security of the United
States, including methods or sources related to national
security, the Attorney General shall release an unclassified
summary for each of the redacted or withheld classified
information.
(4) All decisions to classify any covered information after
July 1, 2025 shall be published in the Federal Register and
submitted to Congress, including the date of classification, the
identity of the classifying authority, and an unclassified summary
of the justification.
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Within 15 days of completion of the release required under Section
2, the Attorney General shall submit to the House and Senate Committees
on the Judiciary a report listing:
(1) All categories of records released and withheld.
(2) A summary of redactions made, including legal basis.
(3) A list of all government officials and politically exposed
persons named or referenced in the released materials, with no
redactions permitted under subsection (b)(1).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.