Bill Proposed to Expand Public Records Access to Judiciary

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has proposed legislation that would make the federal judiciary subject to public records requests.

The bill, released Tuesday, would amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to include parts of the judicial branch, including the Administrative Office of the US Courts, the judiciary’s administrative office.

Journalists and other interested parties would be able to request records related to attorney disciplinary proceedings and sanctions, complaints against judges and court staffers, calendars and minutes for Judicial Conference meetings and membership lists for committees, and reports to Congress, among other records.

The legislation, dubbed the Judicial FOIA Expansion ...