Congress·In Committee·H.Res. 1164

Directing Members required to reimburse the Treasury for payments related to certain claims to appear before the Clerk for public disclosure of the reasons for the reimbursement.

Public Disclosure for House Member Misconduct Settlements

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and has been sent to two House committees for review. It is not yet scheduled for a vote and is considered to be in the initial phase of consideration. There is no companion bill at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While the idea of accountability is popular with voters, lawmakers are often slow to pass rules that could lead to their own public embarrassment or loss of power.

Key Points

This resolution would force House members to stand in front of their colleagues and the public if they have to pay back the government for legal settlements. These settlements usually involve claims of sexual harassment or discrimination against staff members.
The Clerk of the House would read the person's name, the amount of money involved, and the specific reasons for the payment. This information would be shared while the House is in session so it becomes part of the public record.
If a member refuses to appear for this public reading within 30 days, they would be banned from serving on any committees. They would also lose any leadership positions, such as being the Speaker or a party leader, until they comply.
Former members who owe money for these settlements would be banned from the House floor and nearby rooms. They can only get their visiting privileges back once they pay the money back in full and participate in a public reading of their case.
The goal of this change is to make sure lawmakers are held accountable for their behavior. Currently, many of these settlements are handled privately, and the public may not know which representatives are using taxpayer funds for legal issues.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

1 milestone2 actions

Apr 13, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 13, 2026

Submitted in House

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Directing Members required to reimburse the Treasury for payments related to certain claims to appear before the Clerk for public disclosure of the reasons for the reimbursement.

Bill NumberHRES 1164

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.