A bill to amend chapter 57 of title 28, United States Code, to provide for a code of conduct for justices and judges of the courts of the United States, establish an Ethics Investigations Counsel, and require disclosure of recusals.
Key claim: S5121 would amend title 28 to impose a code of conduct on U.S. justices and judges, create an Ethics Investigations Counsel, and require public disclosure of recusals.
Abstract
(S5121 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-23): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Why this matters
Statutory ethics rules, an independent investigations counsel, and mandatory recusal disclosure would move federal judicial accountability from voluntary self-regulation to enforceable standards, directly affecting litigants who rely on impartial adjudication of civil rights, due process, and constitutional claims. The proposal also raises contested separation-of-powers questions about Congress’s authority to regulate Article III judicial conduct, which will shape how any enacted regime is implemented and litigated.