[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9784 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9784
To amend title 28, United States Code, to require justices, judges,
magistrate judges, or bankruptcy judges and their spouses and dependent
children to place certain assets into qualified blind trusts, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 20, 2026
Mr. Johnson of Georgia (for himself, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Goldman of
New York, Ms. Norton, and Mrs. Ramirez) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 28, United States Code, to require justices, judges,
magistrate judges, or bankruptcy judges and their spouses and dependent
children to place certain assets into qualified blind trusts, 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 ``Justice is Beneficial Limitation on
Investments and Necessary Disclosure Act of 2026'' or as the ``Justice
is BLIND Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF CERTAIN ASSETS OF JUSTICES, JUDGES, MAGISTRATE
JUDGES, OR BANKRUPTCY JUDGES AND THEIR SPOUSES AND
DEPENDENT CHILDREN IN BLIND TRUST.
Section 455 of title 28, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``A'' and inserting ``(1) A''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) The reasonable effort described in paragraph (1) does not
include seeking information about the identity of the financial
instruments contained in any qualified blind trust other than the
initial assets of the qualified blind trust established by a justice,
judge, magistrate judge or bankruptcy judge, or the spouse or dependent
child of such justice, judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge, to
comply with subsection (g).''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Placement of Certain Assets of Justices, Judges, Magistrate
Judges, or Bankruptcy Judges and Their Spouses and Dependent Children
in Qualified Blind Trust.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Commodity.--The term `commodity' has the
meaning given the term in section 1a of the Commodity
Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1a).
``(B) Covered financial interest.--The term
`covered financial interest'--
``(i) means a financial interest in a
security, a commodity, or a future, or any
comparable economic interest acquired through
synthetic means such as the use of a
derivative; and
``(ii) does not include--
``(I) a widely held investment fund
described in section 13104(f)(8) of
title 5 that is diversified and
registered as a management company
under the Investment Company Act of
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.);
``(II) a United States Treasury
bill, note, or bond;
``(III) any compensation received
by the spouse or dependent child of a
covered official from their employer.
``(C) Dependent child.--The term `dependent child'
has the meaning given the term in section 13101 of
title 5.
``(D) Qualified blind trust.--The term `qualified
blind trust' has the meaning given the term in section
13104(f)(3) of title 5.
``(2) Placement.--
``(A) Justice, judge, magistrate judge, or
bankruptcy judge occupying office on date of
enactment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this subsection, a justice, judge,
magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge and any spouse or
dependent child of such justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge shall place any covered
financial interest of such justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge or any spouse or dependent
child of such justice, judge, magistrate judge, or
bankruptcy judge, into a qualified blind trust.
``(B) Justice, judge, magistrate judge, or
bankruptcy judge assuming office after date of
enactment.--Not later than 90 days after the date an
individual is sworn in as a justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge, such individual and any
spouse or dependent child of such individual shall
place any covered financial interest of such
individual, spouse, or dependent child into a qualified
blind trust.
``(C) Mingling of assets.--A spouse or dependent
child of a justice, judge, magistrate judge, or
bankruptcy judge may place a covered financial interest
in a qualified blind trust established by such justice,
judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge under
subparagraph (A) or (B). A justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge may place a covered
financial interest in a qualified blind trust
established by the spouse of such justice, judge,
magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge under
subparagraph (A) or (B).
``(D) Assets upon separation.--A justice, judge,
magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge and any spouse or
dependent child of such justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge may not dissolve any
qualified blind trust in which a covered financial
interest has been placed pursuant to subparagraph (A)
or (B), or otherwise control such a financial interest,
until the date that is 180 days after the date such
justice, judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge
ceases to be a justice, judge, magistrate judge, or
bankruptcy judge.
``(3) Accountability.--
``(A) In general.--A justice, judge, magistrate
judge, or bankruptcy judge shall--
``(i) not later than 15 days after the date
a qualified blind trust is established under
paragraph (2), attest in writing that such
trust has been established and that any covered
financial interest of such justice, judge,
magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge or a
spouse or dependent child of such justice,
judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge
has been placed in such trust; or
``(ii) attest in writing that such justice,
judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge
and a spouse or dependent child of such
justice, judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy
judge does not have any covered financial
interest.
``(B) Report.--The Administrative Office of the
United States Courts shall make available on the
searchable internet database established under section
105(c) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 any
attestation made under subparagraph (A).
``(4) Severability.--If any provision of this subsection or
the application of such provision to any person or circumstance
is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this
subsection and the application of the remaining provisions of
this subsection to any person or circumstance, shall not be
affected.''.
<all>