119:hr:4405 — Epstein Files Transparency Act

Sponsor

Introduced by

D Democrat · House · CA-17 D+21

Ranking Member · House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

Latest action

Became Public Law No: 119-38.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Nov 19, 2025

passed Passed/agreed to in Senate: Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed, under the order of 11/18/2025, without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Nov 19, 2025

passed Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed, under the order of 11/18/2025, without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8211)

Nov 19, 2025

floor Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Nov 19, 2025

sent Presented to President.

Nov 19, 2025

signed Signed by President.

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Nov 20, 2025 Public Law

United States Legislative Markup

Nov 19, 2025 Received in Senate

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Nov 18, 2025 Engrossed in House

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Jul 15, 2025 Introduced in House

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— Enrolled Bill

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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

00 Introduced in House Jul 15, 2025

Epstein Files Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish (in a searchable and downloadable format) all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ's possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. This includes (1) materials that relate to Ghislaine Maxwell, (2) flight logs and travel records, and (3) individuals named or referenced (including government officials) in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. DOJ is permitted to withhold certain information such as the personal information of victims and materials that would jeopardize an active federal investigation. Additionally, not later than 15 days after the required publication, DOJ must report to Congress (1) all categories of information released and withheld, (2) a summary of any redactions made, and (3) a list of all government officials and politically exposed individuals named or referenced in the published materials.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

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`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

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Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+74 −88 45 unchanged

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--- Received (Senate)

+++ Enrolled

@@ -1,36 +1,30 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[H.R. 4405 Received in Senate (RDS)]

+[H.R. 4405 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

-<DOC>

-119th CONGRESS

-1st Session

-H. R. 4405

+H.R.4405

-_______________________________________________________________________

+One Hundred Nineteenth Congress

-IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

+of the

-November 19, 2025

+United States of America

-Received

+AT THE FIRST SESSION

-_______________________________________________________________________

+Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,

+the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-five

-AN ACT

+An Act

To require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in

-possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein,

-and for other purposes.

+possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein, and

+for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled,

-

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

-

This Act may be cited as the ``Epstein Files Transparency Act''.

-

SEC. 2. RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

-

(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment

of this Act, the Attorney General shall, subject to subsection (b),

make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all

@@ -38,97 +32,89 @@

materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the

Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices,

that relate to:

-(1) Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations,

-prosecutions, or custodial matters.

+(1) Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations, prosecutions,

+or custodial matters.

(2) Ghislaine Maxwell.

-(3) Flight logs or travel records, including but not

-limited to manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs

-or immigration documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or

-vehicle owned, operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any

-related entity.

+(3) Flight logs or travel records, including but not limited to

+manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs or immigration

+documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or vehicle owned,

+operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any related entity.

(4) Individuals, including government officials, named or

-referenced in connection with Epstein's criminal activities,

-civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or

-investigatory proceedings.

-(5) Entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or

-governmental) with known or alleged ties to Epstein's

-trafficking or financial networks.

+referenced in connection with Epstein's criminal activities, civil

+settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory

+proceedings.

+(5) Entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or governmental)

+with known or alleged ties to Epstein's trafficking or financial

+networks.

(6) Any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea

bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his

associates.

(7) Internal DOJ communications, including emails, memos,

meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge,

-investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his

-associates.

+investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his associates.

(8) All communications, memoranda, directives, logs, or

metadata concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration,

misplacement, or concealment of documents, recordings, or

-electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his

-detention and death, or any investigative files.

-(9) Documentation of Epstein's detention or death,

-including incident reports, witness interviews, medical

-examiner files, autopsy reports, and written records detailing

-the circumstances and cause of death.

+electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his detention

+and death, or any investigative files.

+(9) Documentation of Epstein's detention or death, including

+incident reports, witness interviews, medical examiner files,

+autopsy reports, and written records detailing the circumstances

+and cause of death.

(b) Prohibited Grounds for Withholding.--

-(1) No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on

-the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political

-sensitivity, including to any government official, public

-figure, or foreign dignitary.

+(1) No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the

+basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political

+sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure,

+or foreign dignitary.

(c) Permitted Withholdings.--

-(1) The Attorney general may withhold or redact the

-segregable portions of records that--

-(A) contain personally identifiable information of

-victims or victims' personal and medical files and

-similar files the disclosure of which would constitute

-a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

-(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials

-(CSAM) as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited

-under 18 U.S.C. 2252-2252A;

-(C) would jeopardize an active federal

-investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that

-such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary;

-(D) depict or contain images of death, physical

-abuse, or injury of any person; or

-(E) contain information specifically authorized

-under criteria established by an Executive order to be

-kept secret in the interest of national defense or

-foreign policy and are in fact properly classified

-pursuant to such Executive order.

+(1) The Attorney general may withhold or redact the segregable

+portions of records that--

+(A) contain personally identifiable information of victims

+or victims' personal and medical files and similar files the

+disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted

+invasion of personal privacy;

+(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)

+as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited under 18 U.S.C.

+2252-2252A;

+(C) would jeopardize an active federal investigation or

+ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly

+tailored and temporary;

+(D) depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or

+injury of any person; or

+(E) contain information specifically authorized under

+criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in

+the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are in

+fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order.

(2) All redactions must be accompanied by a written

-justification published in the Federal Register and submitted

-to Congress.

-(3) To the extent that any covered information would

-otherwise be redacted or withheld as classified information

-under this section, the Attorney General shall declassify that

-classified information to the maximum extent possible.

-(A) If the Attorney General makes a determination

-that covered information may not be declassified and

-made available in a manner that protects the national

-security of the United States, including methods or

-sources related to national security, the Attorney

-General shall release an unclassified summary for each

-of the redacted or withheld classified information.

+justification published in the Federal Register and submitted to

+Congress.

+(3) To the extent that any covered information would otherwise

+be redacted or withheld as classified information under this

+section, the Attorney General shall declassify that classified

+information to the maximum extent possible.

+(A) If the Attorney General makes a determination that

+covered information may not be declassified and made available

+in a manner that protects the national security of the United

+States, including methods or sources related to national

+security, the Attorney General shall release an unclassified

+summary for each of the redacted or withheld classified

+information.

(4) All decisions to classify any covered information after

July 1, 2025 shall be published in the Federal Register and

-submitted to Congress, including the date of classification,

-the identity of the classifying authority, and an unclassified

-summary of the justification.

-

+submitted to Congress, including the date of classification, the

+identity of the classifying authority, and an unclassified summary

+of the justification.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

-

Within 15 days of completion of the release required under Section

2, the Attorney General shall submit to the House and Senate Committees

on the Judiciary a report listing:

(1) All categories of records released and withheld.

(2) A summary of redactions made, including legal basis.

-(3) A list of all government officials and politically

-exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials,

-with no redactions permitted under subsection (b)(1).

+(3) A list of all government officials and politically exposed

+persons named or referenced in the released materials, with no

+redactions permitted under subsection (b)(1).

-Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2025.

+Speaker of the House of Representatives.

-Attest:

-

-KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

-

-Clerk.

+Vice President of the United States and

+President of the Senate.

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filings · 2025 Q3

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Cosponsors (48)

Members who signed on to support this bill.