New bill would cap court monitors' fees, terms, and reappointments
Passed one chamberH.R. 8365Latest action
Sponsor: Andy Biggs · Representative · AZ
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Monitor Accountability Act
119th Congress
Topics: Crime & justice
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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The bill caps court-appointed monitors at five years, limits fees, and shifts long-running cases to new judges.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 8365 would require federal courts to set rules limiting monitor fees, capping appointments at five years with no reappointment to the same case, and barring monitors from handling more than one case at once. It also requires public notice before appointment, a public hearing before changing monitoring requirements, and yearly public fee reports. Monitorships lasting six years or more would get a new monitor within 180 days and be reassigned to a different judge within a year, with future cases past six years automatically moving to a new judge.
Who does it affect?
State and local governments under federal court oversight (such as police departments, jails, or agencies under consent decrees), the attorneys and consultants who serve as monitors, and the federal judges who appoint them.
Why does it matter?
The changes would add new procedural requirements and time limits to how courts oversee government reform efforts, affecting how long monitors serve and who supervises their cases.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedApr 20, 2026
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · May 18, 2026
- The president's desk
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Recorded votes
Roll-call votes recorded since January 3, 2025.
House · · Roll call 173
As recorded
- Question
- On Passage
- Result:
- Passed
- 219
- Nay
- 204
- 0
- 7
Republicans 213 yes, 4 not voting · Democrats 5 yes, 204 no, 3 not voting · Independent 1 yes
Official recordHow members voted
The official record lists how each member voted.Official record
House · · Roll call 172
As recorded
- Question
- On
- Result:
- Failed
- 210
- Nay
- 213
- 0
- 7
Republicans 213 no, 4 not voting · Democrats 210 yes, 2 not voting · Independent 1 not voting
Official recordHow members voted
The official record lists how each member voted.Official record