Bill would require public court review of some executive settlements

Covered people seeking the specified relief would have to sue in a three-judge federal court panel in Washington, D.C.; appeals would go to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Covered people include the president and vice president, cabinet members, certain senior or political appointees and special government employees, some people who formerly held those roles, certain relatives of the president or vice president, and connected organizations. The special court process applies to claims for $250,000 or more in monetary relief, or for any nonmonetary relief.

When all parties agree to a proposed settlement or award in a covered case, they would have to submit it for public comment and court review before the court could approve it. The process applies to proposed settlements or awards agreed to by every party in a covered case. The proposal and key supporting materials must be made public, but documents protected by federal privacy laws must be filed under seal. The public comment period lasts 60 days. A court may shorten it only for extraordinary circumstances and if doing so would not harm the public interest. The court must find approval is not against the public interest and must reject proposals that fail the bill's legal and fairness tests. The 60-day comment period begins when the proposal is filed with the court; the court may grant the United States extra time to respond to comments.