Judges' Blind Trust Disclosure Act

Full Title:
Justice is BLIND Act of 2026

Summary#

This bill would require federal justices, judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges — and their spouses and dependent children — to put most stock, commodity, futures, and similar investments into qualified blind trusts. It amends section 455 of title 28 of the U.S. Code and adds deadlines, attestations, and posting of those attestations online.

  • Main change: Covered financial interests (securities, commodities, futures, and similar economic interests, but with listed exceptions) must be put into a qualified blind trust within 90 days for current officeholders and within 90 days after swearing in for new appointees.
  • Definitions and exceptions: The bill defines “covered financial interest” and excludes widely held diversified funds, U.S. Treasury securities, and compensation paid to a judge’s spouse by that spouse’s employer. It uses existing legal definitions for “qualified blind trust” and “dependent child.”
  • Attestations and transparency: A judge must attest in writing within 15 days after establishing a blind trust (or attest that no covered financial interest exists). The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) must make those attestations available on the searchable Ethics in Government Act database.
  • Limits on control and timing: A judge or their family may not dissolve or regain control of such a trust interest until 180 days after the judge leaves office. Spouses and dependent children may place assets into a judge’s blind trust and vice versa.
  • Clarification about “reasonable effort”: The bill says a judge’s “reasonable effort” to avoid conflicts does not require trying to learn the identity of investments inside a qualified blind trust beyond the initial assets listed when the trust is set up.

What it means for you#

  • Federal judges and justices: Must put covered financial interests into a qualified blind trust within 90 days (incumbents) or within 90 days after taking office (new appointees). Must file a written attestation within 15 days after establishing the trust, or attest that no covered financial interest exists. Cannot dissolve those trusts or control those assets until 180 days after leaving office.
  • Spouses and dependent children of judges: Covered financial interests held by spouses or dependent children must also be placed in qualified blind trusts under the same timelines. Spouses and dependent children may place assets into a trust established by the judge (and vice versa).
  • Court administration (AOUSC): Must post judges’ attestations on the publicly searchable Ethics in Government Act database.
  • People following court transparency: The public would be able to see whether a judge attested that a blind trust was established or that no covered financial interest exists. The bill does not provide transaction-level disclosure of investments inside a qualified blind trust.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

  • The bill requires AOUSC to post attestations online, which could increase AOUSC administrative work and related costs, but no estimate is provided.
  • Judges, spouses, or families may incur private legal and trustee fees to set up and manage qualified blind trusts.
  • The bill does not include a fiscal note or dollar estimates in the supplied material.

Proponents' View#

  • The bill appears intended to reduce financial conflicts of interest by preventing judges (and their immediate family members) from holding or controlling stock, commodity, or similar investments that could present a conflict.
  • This could be seen as improving public confidence in the impartiality of the federal judiciary by increasing the use of blind trusts and making attestations public.
  • Requiring blind trusts and a waiting period after leaving office could limit opportunities for judges to influence cases for personal financial gain while in office.
  • Posting attestations online increases transparency about whether a judge has complied with the trust requirement.

Opponents' View#

  • One concern is that the bill does not explain enforcement mechanisms or penalties for noncompliance, leaving unclear how violations would be handled.
  • It is unclear how the rule applies to many common accounts (for example, certain retirement accounts, pensions, or other asset types not explicitly described), which could create gaps or uncertainty.
  • Requiring public posting of attestations may raise privacy questions for judges and their families (the bill does not explain what personal details will be published beyond the attestation).
  • The bill may impose costs on judges and their families to create and manage qualified blind trusts; those costs are not estimated.
  • One possible question is whether imposing these requirements on the federal judiciary raises legal or institutional questions about judicial independence; the bill text does not address such constitutional issues.