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HR 8365
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Monitor Accountability Act

Introduced Apr 20, 2026

Latest action (May 18, 2026) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Referred to
Judiciary Committee Judiciary Committee
Policy area
Law
Issues
Criminal Justice
Legislative subjects (5)
Federal district courtsGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesJudicial procedure and administrationLegal fees and court costs

Summary

This bill establishes conditions on court appointments of monitors who oversee state and local government conduct. The Judicial Conference must create rules within 180 days establishing maximum fees for monitors, limiting monitors to one appointment at a time and to a 5-year term without reappointment under the same court order, requiring public notice and comment before appointment, and encouraging the use of pro bono or reduced-rate services. Subsequent monitors for the same position cannot be employed by the same employer as the previous monitor. Cases with monitorships in effect for 6 years must be transferred to a different judge. Monitors must submit annual accountings to the court showing services provided and fees charged, and these accountings must be made public. For monitorships already in effect for 6 or more years when the bill is enacted, a new monitor must be appointed and the case transferred within specified timeframes.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
2 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Andy Biggs’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • SAULSBURY INDUSTRIES $9,900
  • 21ST CENTURY HEALTHCARE $7,500
  • ULINE $6,600
  • TW LEWIS COMPANY $6,600
  • LEE BENSON $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Andy Biggs → · Outside spending →

Actions (20)
  1. May 18, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. · senate
  2. May 14, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. May 14, 2026 On passage Passed by recorded vote: 219 - 204 (Roll no. 173). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H3480) · house
  4. May 14, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 219 - 204 (Roll no. 173). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H3480)
  5. May 14, 2026 On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 210 - 213 (Roll no. 172). · house
  6. May 14, 2026 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H3507-3509) · house
  7. May 14, 2026 POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 8365, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Boyle (PA) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. · house
  8. May 14, 2026 The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX. · house
  9. May 14, 2026 Mr. Boyle (PA) moved to recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR H3486) · house
  10. May 14, 2026 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
  11. May 14, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 8365. · house
  12. May 14, 2026 Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5625, H.R. 6260, H.R. 8365, H. Con. Res. 96 and H.R. 8469. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 5625, H.R. 6260, H.R. 8365, and H.Con.Res. 96 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8469 under a structured rule. The resolution makes in order one motion to recommit on each bill. · house
  13. May 14, 2026 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1275. (consideration: CR H3480-3486) · house
  14. May 12, 2026 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1275 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5625, H.R. 6260, H.R. 8365, H. Con. Res. 96 and H.R. 8469. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 5625, H.R. 6260, H.R. 8365, and H.Con.Res. 96 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 8469 under a structured rule. The resolution makes in order one motion to recommit on each bill. · house
  15. May 4, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 551. · house
  16. May 4, 2026 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-635. · house
  17. Apr 22, 2026 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 11. · house
  18. Apr 22, 2026 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  19. Apr 20, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
  20. Apr 20, 2026 Introduced in House

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Roll-call votes (2)

How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 7006 — Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 5342 — Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 5166 — Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 1654 — CUTS Act (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 9770 — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 4323 — Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 6622 — Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 4917 — Monitor Accountability Act · Introduced Jun 24, 2026 · Cong. 119 88%
  • HR 8278 — Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in Supervision Act · Introduced Jun 24, 2026 · Cong. 119 57%
  • HR 1731 — Standard FEES Act · Introduced Feb 4, 2026 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 1074 — Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2025 · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 9408 — Open Meetings Act of 2026 · Introduced Jun 23, 2026 · Cong. 119 55%
  • HR 9716 — PRIVACY Act · Introduced Jul 15, 2026 · Cong. 119 54%

Text versions (4)
  • Referred in Senate · May 18, 2026
  • Engrossed in House · May 14, 2026
  • Reported in House · May 4, 2026
  • Introduced in House · Apr 20, 2026

Committee action

What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.

Full text

AN ACT

To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, 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 “Monitor Accountability Act”.

SEC. 2. CONDITIONS ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MONITORS BY COURTS.

(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this section, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall by rule establish conditions on the appointment by a district court of the United States of any person charged, pursuant to a court order, with monitoring the conduct of a State or unit of local government. Such conditions shall include the following:

(1) Fees.—Such person—

(A) may not assess a fee in excess of such maximum rates as the Judicial Conference of the United States may establish; and

(B) shall be authorized to employ the use of pro bono time or reduced rates.

(2) Exclusivity and term.—Such person may not be—

(A) appointed to more than one such monitorship at a time;

(B) appointed for a term greater than 5 years; or

(C) reappointed after the expiration of such term pursuant to the same court order.

(3) Subsequent monitors.—A monitor who is appointed to a monitorship after the expiration of the term of a monitor who served pursuant to the same court order may not be employed by the same employer as the previous monitor.

(4) Public comment.—Prior to the appointment of a monitor, the court shall provide notice of the person to be appointed and afford the public an opportunity for comment thereon.

(5) Termination.—

(A) Revision.—In the case that a court, a party, or a monitor seeks to revise a monitorship imposed by a court order, the court shall conduct a hearing.

(B) Scope of monitorship.—The court may only revise a requirement of a monitorship with respect to which the subject of the monitorship has not attained substantial and sustained compliance.

(b) Transfer.—On the date that is 6 years after the court order imposing a monitorship, if such monitorship is in effect on such date, the case shall be transferred to another judge in the district in which the case is pending.

(c) Accounting.—

(1) In general.—On an annual basis, a monitor shall submit to the court imposing the monitorship an accounting, which shall include—

(A) information on the services provided and the fee charged for such services; and

(B) whether any such services were provided pro bono or at a reduced rate.

(2) Publication.—The court shall make available to the public any accounting submitted to the court under paragraph

(1).

(d) Retroactivity.—In the case of a monitorship that is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act and has been in effect for 6 years—

(1) a new monitor shall be appointed not later than 180 days after such date of enactment in accordance with the limitations under this section; and

(2) the case shall be transferred not later than 1 year after such date of enactment in accordance with this section.

(e) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that monitoring is a public service and monitorships should be structured to encourage the use of pro bono time or reduced rates.

Passed the House of Representatives May 14, 2026.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8365

AN ACT

To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and for other purposes.

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