HR 8365
· 119th Congress
· Law
Monitor Accountability Act of 2026
Sponsor
Latest action
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 11.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Apr 22, 2026
committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Judiciary Committee
Apr 22, 2026
committee
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 11.
Judiciary Committee
Apr 20, 2026
introduced
Introduced in House
Apr 20, 2026
introduced
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Judiciary Committee
Roll-call votes
Floor votes recorded on this bill.
Roll call #172 — On Motion to Recommit
May 14, 2026 · Failed
210
Yea
213
Nay
7
Missed
D
210–0
(2 missed)
R
0–213
(4 missed)
I
0–0
(1 missed)
view official roll-call →
Roll call #173 — On Passage
May 14, 2026 · Passed
219
Yea
204
Nay
7
Missed
D
5–204
(3 missed)
R
213–0
(4 missed)
I
1–0
view official roll-call →
Text versions
Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.
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.
07
Reported to House
May 04, 2026
Monitor Accountability Act
This bill requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish conditions on the appointment of monitors to oversee state and local governmental entities. A monitor is an independent official appointed to oversee corrective reforms as part of a civil settlement agreement or consent decree, such as to remedy a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.
Among the conditions, this bill requires notice and an opportunity for public comment prior to the appointment of a monitor, limits an individual to one monitor appointment at a time, sets a five-year term limit for monitors, and requires a public accounting of the fees charged and services provided by the monitor. It also caps fees and explicitly authorizes the use of pro bono services.
In 2021, the Department of Justice began implementing a set of principles and specific recommendations regarding the use of monitors in civil settlement agreements and consent decrees involving state and local governmental entities, including recommendations relating to term limits, capping fees, and public accountability.
via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov
Changelog
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.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.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih/is— Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh/rfs— Referred to a committee for review.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.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.
+39
−6
28 unchanged
--- Introduced (House)
+++ Reported (House)
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[H.R. 8365 Introduced in House (IH)]
+[H.R. 8365 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
+Union Calendar No. 551
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8365
+
+[Report No. 119-635]
To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and
for other purposes.
@@ -20,6 +23,15 @@
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
+May 4, 2026
+
+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
+[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April
+20, 2026]
+
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
@@ -32,13 +44,12 @@
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
-This Act may be cited as the ``Monitor Accountability Act of
-2026''.
+This Act may be cited as the ``Monitor Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. CONDITIONS ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MONITORS BY COURTS.
-(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the effective date of
-this section, the Administrator of the Administrative Office of the
+(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the effective date
+of this section, the Director of the Administrative Office of the
United States Courts shall by rule establish conditions on the
appointment by a district court of the United States of any person
charged, pursuant to a court order, with monitoring the conduct of a
@@ -96,4 +107,26 @@
(e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that monitoring
is a public service and monitorships should be structured to encourage
the use of pro bono time or reduced rates.
-<all>
+Union Calendar No. 551
+
+119th CONGRESS
+
+2d Session
+
+H. R. 8365
+
+[Report No. 119-635]
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To provide for conditions on the appointment of monitors by courts, and
+for other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+May 4, 2026
+
+Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
+House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
Cosponsors (2)
Members who signed on to support this bill.