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District of Columbia Judicial Financial Transparency Act

Public Law 114-257 · H.R. 4419 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 414 yea, 0 nay414–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

District of Columbia Judicial Financial Transparency Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the District of Columbia Code to revise the financial disclosure requirements for District of Columbia judges. The revisions establish new dollar thresholds and requirements for reporting to the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure the financial interests of the judges and specified family members with respect to:

• income;

• dividends, rents, interest, and capital gains;

• liabilities;

• gifts;

• real and personal property;

• honoraria;

• expense accounts or reimbursements for expenses; and

• waivers or partial waivers of fees or charges.

The financial disclosure reports must be available for public inspection and copying, unless revealing personal and sensitive information could endanger the judge or a family member. A report may be redacted only: (1) to the extent necessary to protect the individual or family member, and (2) as long as the danger to the individual exists.

(Sec. 3) The Probate Divisions of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia may use magistrate judges.

(Sec. 4) DC courts may accept payment of fines, fees, escrow payments, restitution, bonds, and other payments by credit card or electronic funds transfer. The executive officer of the courts may contract with a bank or credit card vendor, or other third party provider, to accept such payments, making every effort to find the lowest cost vendor among them.

(Sec. 5) The maximum amount in controversy for cases under the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of DC Superior Court shall increase from $5,000 to $10,000.

(Sec. 6) Each chief judge of the Superior Court or of the Court of Appeals, as appropriate, may delegate to an active or senior judge (in the court in which the chief judge sits) the authority to approve any compensation for court-appointed criminal defense or child abuse and neglect attorneys exceeding the usual maximum.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 414 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

414 yea0 nay17 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(176)

Republicans who voted yea(238)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1251 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 2966Related bill

    District of Columbia Judicial Financial Transparency Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-257.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 2, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 30, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 29, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Sep 26, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Sep 22, 2016FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 0 (Roll no. 551).House roll call 551
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. Sep 20, 2016FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4419.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Mr. Carter (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Sep 13, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 578.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-745.
  17. Jul 12, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. Feb 1, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E83)
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.