# Plain Language Summary: Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act of 2023

This bill sets strict new rules about what investments and financial interests judges and Supreme Court justices can have. The core idea is to prevent judges from owning stocks, bonds, or other investments that could create conflicts of interest when they rule on cases. Right now, federal judges can own individual stocks and other securities, which means a judge might benefit financially from ruling a certain way in a case involving a company they own stock in. This bill would essentially ban that by requiring judges to divest (sell off) most individual investments and instead only hold "safe" investments like diversified mutual funds, government bonds, or their retirement accounts.

The bill also creates a new investment account system specifically for judges called Federal Employee Investment Accounts. If judges need to sell off conflicted investments, they could move that money into these special accounts where they can still invest in stocks and securities, but through a managed system that's supposed to prevent conflicts. The bill gives the government three years to set up these accounts. Additionally, the bill tightens rules around gifts judges can receive—clarifying that gifts include things like free meals, travel, and lodging—and puts a yearly cap on the total value of gifts a judge can accept based on tax law limits.

The bill also restricts privately funded educational seminars and speeches for judges. Instead of private organizations paying for judges to attend conferences and seminars, the bill creates a public fund to pay for these educational events. This prevents wealthy organizations or corporations from potentially gaining influence by sponsoring judicial education. Judges who violate these new rules could face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. The practical effect would be to significantly reduce judges' personal investment portfolios and make their finances more transparent and less likely to create the appearance of impropriety.

Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act of 2023

<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act of 2023 This bill makes various changes to the federal framework governing judicial ethics. Among the changes, the bill <ul> <li>prohibits federal judges and Supreme Court Justices from owning individual stocks and securities; </li> <li>requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue regulations restricting the solicitation or acceptance of gifts in connection with a private judicial seminar; </li> <li>expresses the sense of Congress that the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges shall apply to Supreme Court Justices; </li> <li>requires federal judges and Supreme Court Justices to report on each association or interest that would require recusal, including any financial interest of a spouse or minor child who resides in the household; and </li> <li>establishes a committee to review complaints against the Supreme Court. </li> </ul></body></html>