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S. 616 · Where this bill is now

Became law

Public Law 119-57, Dec 12, 2025

What this bill does

In plain words · AI-written from the official summary

Updates Foundation of Federal Bar Association charter

This act changes the rules for how the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association operates. Instead of spelling out all the details in the official charter, it shifts those decisions to the foundation's bylaws—the internal rulebook the organization can update more easily. The changes also clarify rules about where the foundation's main office can be located, how money can be spent, and what happens to assets if the foundation dissolves.

How it affects you

This change doesn't directly affect most people. It's mainly a housekeeping update for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association, an organization that supports lawyers and legal professionals. The changes give the foundation more flexibility in how it manages itself without needing to go through the process of amending a federal charter.

Read the official summary (Public Law, Dec 12, 2025)

Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025

This act revises the federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association to shift authority from the charter to the bylaws.

Specifically, it makes the following changes:

• removes the requirement for the foundation to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia;

• requires the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office;

• specifies that the bylaws—not the charter—must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers;

• prohibits a director or officer, in his or her corporate capacity, from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities;

• allows income and assets of the corporation to be used to reasonably compensate or reimburse expenses of an officer, director, or member; to award a grant to the Federal Bar Association chapter of an officer, director, or member; and to reasonably compensate employees;

• expands a prohibition on loans for directors and officers to include members and employees; and

• specifies that on dissolution or final liquidation, any remaining assets must be distributed as provided by the board of directors instead of deposited in the Treasury.

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.

119th Congress
1st Session
S. 616

AN ACT

Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025

Passed SenateApr 30, 2025 · unanimous consentPassed HouseDec 1, 2025 · voice votePublic Law 119-57Dec 12, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) · Introduced Feb 18, 2025 · Law · 3 versions of the text

Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 12, 2025: “Became Public Law No: 119-57.”

Sections

The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.

Sections · 9