Justice is BLIND Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9784 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.''.
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