H.R. 8365 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House May 14, 2026. Received May 18, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summarySets rules for court-appointed government overseers
When courts settle civil cases involving state or local government—like claims of unconstitutional policing—they sometimes appoint an independent monitor to oversee the reforms. This bill creates standards for how monitors are chosen and managed. It requires public notice and comment before a monitor is appointed, limits each monitor to one job at a time, sets a five-year term limit, caps their fees, and requires public reporting on what they charge and what they do.
How it affects you
You won't feel this directly unless you live in an area where a court appoints a monitor to oversee government reforms. If you do, this bill makes that process more transparent—you'd have a chance to weigh in before the monitor is chosen, and you'd see public records about how much the monitor costs and what services they provide.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, May 4, 2026)
Monitor Accountability Act
This bill requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish conditions on the appointment of monitors to oversee state and local governmental entities. A monitor is an independent official appointed to oversee corrective reforms as part of a civil settlement agreement or consent decree, such as to remedy a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.
Among the conditions, this bill requires notice and an opportunity for public comment prior to the appointment of a monitor, limits an individual to one monitor appointment at a time, sets a five-year term limit for monitors, and requires a public accounting of the fees charged and services provided by the monitor. It also caps fees and explicitly authorizes the use of pro bono services.
In 2021, the Department of Justice began implementing a set of principles and specific recommendations regarding the use of monitors in civil settlement agreements and consent decrees involving state and local governmental entities, including recommendations relating to term limits, capping fees, and public accountability.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 8365
AN ACT
Monitor Accountability Act
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) · Introduced Apr 20, 2026 · Law · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 18, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · May 14, 2026
Passage Passed 219–204
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 5 | 204 | 3 |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 213 | 0 | 4 |
5 members voted against most of their party: 5 Democrats voted Yes.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Numbers that changed
Dollar amounts, dates and percentages, taken word for word from the text| Section | Where | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sec. 2Time period | Conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts…(a) In general Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this section, the…Introduced → Committee version | 90 days | 180 days |
Listed only when one value replaced another and the surrounding words stayed the same. Open a section to read the full wording.