This bill would prevent the federal government from using a specific appropriations account to pay legal judgments, awards, or settlements that result from lawsuits filed by the President or Vice President. Currently, federal agencies can use Section 1304 of Title 31 to pay court judgments and settlements without requiring separate congressional approval, which the bill's sponsors characterize as a "slush fund." The legislation would block payments from this account for any case involving a presidential or vice presidential lawsuit, effective January 20, 2025, and would apply to both pending cases and future lawsuits. This means that if the President or Vice President sued someone and lost, the government would need to seek specific congressional authorization to pay any resulting judgment rather than using the existing appropriations mechanism. The bill was introduced in June 2026 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
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