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H.R. 10558

BillFederalHouseIn Committee
To amend title 31, United States Code, to require additional transparency with respect to the Judgment Fund, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · September 24, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced
September 24, 2026
Cosponsors (0)
None
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Summary

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The CLEAR Act requires the Treasury Department to increase public transparency regarding the Judgment Fund, which is a federal account used to pay court-ordered settlements and judgments against the U.S. government. Starting within 60 days of enactment, the Treasury must publish details about each payment on a public website within 30 days of payment, including the agency involved, names of plaintiffs and their lawyers, the amount paid broken down by principal liability and ancillary costs like attorney fees, and a brief description of the facts underlying the claim. The bill also requires the Treasury to create searchable databases organizing this information by agency, plaintiff, and counsel, with monthly totals and breakdowns by payment type. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must submit an annual report to Congress analyzing so-called "sue-and-settle" practices, where federal agencies settle litigation by agreeing to change policies or regulations, identifying which agencies most frequently use this tactic and analyzing trends in settlement amounts. The bill includes a provision protecting the confidentiality of whistleblowers who disclose information about these payments.

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