{"format":1,"id":"119-hr-8365","congress":119,"number":"H.R. 8365","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Monitor Accountability Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Monitor Accountability Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Monitor Accountability Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Monitor Accountability Act"},{"type":"Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text","title":"To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Monitor Accountability Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Monitor Accountability Act of 2026"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2026-04-20","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2026-05-14","vote":{"id":"119-2026-h173","question":"On Passage","title":"Monitor Accountability Act","result":"Passed","yea":219,"nay":204,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll173.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"pending","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"not_yet","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.","date":"2026-05-18"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2026-05-14","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"Monitor Accountability Act","result":"Failed","yea":210,"nay":213,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll172.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2026-05-04","stage":"Reported to House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Monitor Accountability Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish conditions on the appointment of monitors to oversee state and local governmental entities. A monitor is an independent official appointed to oversee corrective reforms as part of a civil settlement agreement or consent decree, such as to remedy a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing."},{"k":"p","t":"Among the conditions, this bill requires notice and an opportunity for public comment prior to the appointment of a monitor, limits an individual to one monitor appointment at a time, sets a five-year term limit for monitors, and requires a public accounting of the fees charged and services provided by the monitor. It also caps fees and explicitly authorizes the use of pro bono services."},{"k":"p","t":"In 2021, the Department of Justice began implementing a set of principles and specific recommendations regarding the use of monitors in civil settlement agreements and consent decrees involving state and local governmental entities, including recommendations relating to term limits, capping fees, and public accountability."}],"words":169},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to set by rule conditions on the appointment by federal district courts of monitors who oversee State or local governments under court orders.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}]},"core_areas":["Conditions on court-appointed monitors of State and local governments","Monitor fees, terms and public accounting","Transfer of monitorship cases to another judge"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to establish conditions by rule, not later than 180 days after the effective date of the section, on district court appointments of persons charged with monitoring a State or unit of local government.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}},{"text":"Bars a monitor from assessing fees above maximum rates the Judicial Conference may establish, and authorizes a monitor to use pro bono time or reduced rates.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}},{"text":"Bars a person from holding more than one such monitorship at a time, from being appointed for a term greater than 5 years, and from being reappointed under the same court order after the term expires.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}},{"text":"Requires the court to give notice of the person to be appointed as monitor and to afford the public an opportunity for comment before the appointment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}},{"text":"Requires the case to be transferred to another judge in the district 6 years after the court order imposing a monitorship, if the monitorship is still in effect on that date.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}},{"text":"Requires a monitor to submit an annual accounting to the court of services provided, fees charged and any pro bono or reduced-rate services, and requires the court to make each accounting available to the public.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh#HF0D0383295EA4414914D4D15F7A605D2"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2026-05-14","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-03","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8365/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-hr-8365.png","v":"5187a61439f7","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 8365, 119th Congress: Monitor Accountability Act. House: 219 Yea, 204 Nay. Senate: not yet considered. Outcome: Passed House, 14 May 2026."}}