S. 2838 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Sep 17, 2025
119th Congress
1st SessionS. 2838
1st SessionS. 2838
A BILL
Protecting Our Democracy Act
In the SenateNo vote yet
Sponsor: Sen. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA) · Introduced Sep 17, 2025 · Government Operations and Politics · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 17, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
Sections
Sections · 2
Division A — Preventing Abuses of Presidential Power · Title XI — Abuse of the Pardon Power Prevention · 5
Division A — Preventing Abuses of Presidential Power · Title XII — Ensuring No President Is Above the Law · 4
Division A — Preventing Abuses of Presidential Power · Title XIII — Enforcement Of The Foreign And Domestic Emoluments Clauses Of The Constitution · 9
- Sec. 1301Short titleNo change
- Sec. 1302DefinitionsNo change
- Sec. 1303Prohibition on acceptance of foreign and domestic emolumentsNo change
- Sec. 1304Civil actions by Congress concerning foreign emolumentsNo change
- Sec. 1305Disclosures concerning foreign and domestic emolumentsNo change
- Sec. 1306Enforcement authority of the Director of the Office of Government EthicsNo change
- Sec. 1307Jurisdiction of the Office of Special CounselNo change
- Sec. 1308Rulemaking for ethics requirements for legal expense fundsNo change
- Sec. 1309Limitations and disclosure of certain donations to, and disbursements by, inaugural committeesNo change
Division A — Preventing Abuses of Presidential Power · Title XIV — Investigative Integrity Protection · 2
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXI — Enforcement of Congressional Subpoenas · 5
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXII — Reasserting Congressional Power of the Purse · 19
- Sec. 2201Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2221Strengthening congressional controlNo change
- Sec. 2222Strengthening congressional reviewNo change
- Sec. 2223Updated authorities for and reporting by the Comptroller GeneralNo change
- Sec. 2224Advance congressional notification and litigationNo change
- Sec. 2225Penalties for failure to comply with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974No change
- Sec. 2241Expired balance reporting in the President’s budgetNo change
- Sec. 2242Cancelled balance reporting in the President’s budgetNo change
- Sec. 2243Lapse in appropriations—reporting in the President’s budgetNo change
- Sec. 2244Transfer and other repurposing authority reporting in the President’s budgetNo change
- Sec. 2251Requirement to respond to requests for information from the Comptroller General for budget and appropriations law decisionsNo change
- Sec. 2252Reporting requirements for Antideficiency Act violationsNo change
- Sec. 2253Department of Justice reporting to Congress for Antideficiency Act violationsNo change
- Sec. 2254Publication of budget or appropriations law opinions of the Department of Justice Office of Legal CounselNo change
- Sec. 2255Treatment of requests for information from Members of CongressNo change
- Sec. 2261Improving checks and balances on the use of the National Emergencies ActNo change
- Sec. 2262National Emergencies Act declaration spending reporting in the President’s budgetNo change
- Sec. 2263Disclosure to Congress of presidential emergency action documentsNo change
- Sec. 2264Congressional designationsNo change
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXIII — Security From Political Interference in Justice · 4
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXIV — Protecting Whistleblowers · 9
- Sec. 2401Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2421Additional whistleblower protectionsNo change
- Sec. 2422Enhancement of whistleblower protectionsNo change
- Sec. 2423Classifying certain furloughs as adverse personnel actionsNo change
- Sec. 2424Codification of protections for disclosures of censorship related to research, analysis, or technical informationNo change
- Sec. 2425Title 5 technical and conforming amendmentsNo change
- Sec. 2441Limitation on sharing of intelligence community whistleblower complaints with persons named in such complaintsNo change
- Sec. 2442Disclosures to CongressNo change
- Sec. 2443Prohibition against disclosure of whistleblower identity as reprisal against whistleblower disclosure by employees and contractors in intelligence communityNo change
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXV — Accountability for Acting Officials · 2
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXVI — Strengthening Hatch Act Enforcement and Penalties · 16
- Sec. 2601Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2621Strengthening Hatch Act enforcement and penalties against political appointeesNo change
- Sec. 2622Including Executive Office of the President under limitation on nepotism in the civil serviceNo change
- Sec. 2623Disclosure of Hatch Act investigations for certain political employeesNo change
- Sec. 2624Clarification on candidates visiting Federal propertyNo change
- Sec. 2625Applying Hatch Act to President and Vice President while on Federal propertyNo change
- Sec. 2626Granting the Office of Special Counsel rulemaking authorityNo change
- Sec. 2627Greater accountability for political appointeesNo change
- Sec. 2628Investigating former political employeesNo change
- Sec. 2629GAO review of reimbursable political eventsNo change
- Sec. 2641DefinitionsNo change
- Sec. 2642Ethics pledgeNo change
- Sec. 2643WaiversNo change
- Sec. 2644AdministrationNo change
- Sec. 2645EnforcementNo change
- Sec. 2646General provisionsNo change
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXVII — Presidential and vice presidential Tax Transparency · 1
Division B — Restoring Checks and Balances, Accountability, and Transparency · Title XXVIII — Bringing Executive Accountability, Clarity, and Oversight · 2
Division C — Miscellaneous · Title XXXI — Reporting Foreign Interference in Elections · 5
Division C — Miscellaneous · Title XXXII — Eliminating Foreign Interference in Elections · 3
Division C — Miscellaneous · Title XXXIII — Honest Ads · 7
- Sec. 3301Short titleNo change
- Sec. 3302Expansion of definition of public communicationNo change
- Sec. 3303Expansion of definition of electioneering communicationNo change
- Sec. 3304Application of disclaimer statements to online communicationsNo change
- Sec. 3305Political record requirements for online platformsNo change
- Sec. 3306Preventing contributions, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements for electioneering communications by foreign nationals in the form of online advertisingNo change
- Sec. 3307Requiring online platforms to display notices identifying sponsors of political advertisements and to ensure notices continue to be present when advertisements are sharedNo change