H.R. 424

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 424 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 424

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for penalties for the 
unauthorized disclosure of confidential information by officers or 
employees of the Supreme Court, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 20, 2023

Mr. Johnson of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Donalds, Mr. 
Weber of Texas, and Mr. Babin) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for penalties for the 
unauthorized disclosure of confidential information by officers or 
employees of the Supreme Court, 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 ``Leaker Accountability Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. OBSTRUCTION OF SUPREME COURT DELIBERATIONS.

(a) In General.--Chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 1522. OBSTRUCTION OF SUPREME COURT DELIBERATIONS.

``(a) In General.--Whoever, while serving as an officer or employee 
of the Supreme Court, violates this section by knowingly publishing, 
divulging, disclosing, or making known in any manner or to any extent 
not authorized by law any confidential information coming to that 
officer or employee in the course of the employment or official duties 
of that officer or employee shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years 
or fined under this title, or both.
``(b) Confidential Information Defined.--In this section, the term 
`confidential information' includes internal notes on cases heard by 
the Supreme Court, any communication between a Justice of the Supreme 
Court and an employee or officer of the Supreme Court or communication 
between officers and employees of the Supreme Court on a matter pending 
before the Supreme Court, a draft opinion, a final opinion prior to the 
date on which such opinion is released to the public, personal 
information of a Justice of the Supreme Court that is not otherwise 
legally available to the public, and any other information designated 
to be confidential by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court prior to 
the date on which a violation of subsection (a) occurs.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``1522. Obstruction of Supreme Court deliberations.''.
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