Bill > S4010

This bill, the 21st Century Courts Act of 2022, aims to improve judicial accountability and transparency in the United States. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Requiring the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to issue codes of conduct for Supreme Court justices and other federal judges, respectively, within 180 days of enactment. 2. Expanding the grounds for disqualification of federal judges, including if they have received significant income, gifts, or reimbursements from parties in a case, or if they were the subject of substantial lobbying or funding related to their nomination or appointment. 3. Requiring the Supreme Court and Judicial Conference to establish rules prohibiting the filing of amicus briefs that would result in a judge's disqualification, and mandating disclosure of funders of amicus briefs. 4. Enhancing disclosure requirements for judicial travel reimbursements and restricting certain types of personal hospitality that judges can receive. 5. Prohibiting financial conflicts of interest for federal judges. 6. Requiring the public broadcast of video recordings of proceedings in the courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. 7. Restricting the sealing of judicial records, with specific requirements for courts to justify and narrowly tailor any sealing orders. The bill aims to promote greater accountability, transparency, and ethical standards within the federal judiciary.