,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #abjc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ad1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,sensenbrenner introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend title #bh1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to provide an ,inspector 
,general for the judicial branch1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,judicial
 ,transparency and ,ethics ,enhancement 
,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,inspector general  
for the judicial branch  7a7 ,creation  
and ,duties ,part ,,iii of title #bh1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #fj   
,,inspector ,,general ,,for ,,the       
,,judicial ,,branch  ,sec4 #ajba4       
,establishment4 #ajbb4 ,appointment1    
term1 and removal of ,inspector         
,general4 #ajbc4 ,duties4 #ajbd4        
,powers4 #ajbe4 ,reports4 #ajbf4        
,whistleblower protection4  #ajba4      
,establishment ,there is established for

 the judicial branch of the ,government 
the ,office of ,inspector ,general for  
the ,judicial ,branch 7hereinafter in   
this chapter referred to as the         
,office74  #ajbb4 ,appointment1 term1   
and removal of ,inspector ,general  7a7 
,appointment ,the head of the ,office   
shall be the ,inspector ,general1 who   
shall be appointed by the ,chief        
,justice of the ,united ,states after   
consultation with the majority and      
minority leaders of the ,senate and the 
,speaker and minority leader of the     
,house of ,representatives4  7b7 ,term  
,the ,inspector ,general shall serve for
 a term of four years and may be        
reappointed by the ,chief ,justice of   
the ,united ,states for any number of   
additional terms4  7c7 ,removal ,the    
,inspector ,general may be removed from 
office by the ,chief ,justice of the    
,united ,states4 ,the ,chief ,justice   
shall communicate the reasons for any   
such removal to both ,houses of         
,congress4  #ajbc4 ,duties ,with respect

 to the ,judicial ,branch1 other than   
the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court1 the
 ,office shall--  7#a7 conduct          
investigations of alleged misconduct in 
the ,judicial ,branch under chapter #af1
 that may require oversight or other    
action within the ,judicial ,branch or  
by ,congress2  7#b7 conduct and         
supervise audits and investigations2    
7#c7 prevent and detect waste1 fraud1   
and abuse2 and  7#d7 recommend changes  
in laws or regulations governing the    
,judicial ,branch4  #ajbd4 ,powers  7a7 
,powers ,in carrying out the duties of  
the ,office1 the ,inspector ,general    
shall have the power--  7#a7 to make    
investigations and reports2  7#b7 to    
obtain information or assistance from   
any ,federal1 ,state1 or local          
governmental agency1 or other entity1 or
 unit thereof1 including all information
 kept in the course of business by the  
,judicial ,conference of the ,united    
,states1 the judicial councils of       
circuits1 the ,administrative ,office of

 the ,united ,states ,courts1 and the   
,united ,states ,sentencing ,commission2
  7#c7 to require1 by subpoena or       
otherwise1 the attendance and testimony 
of such witnesses1 and the production of
 such books1 records1 correspondence    
memoranda1 papers1 and documents1 which 
subpoena1 in the case of contumacy or   
refusal to obey1 shall be enforceable by
 civil action2  7#d7 to administer to or
 take from any person an oath1          
affirmation1 or affidavit2  7#e7 to     
employ such officers and employees1     
subject to the provisions of title #e1  
governing appointments in the           
competitive service1 and the provisions 
of chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of  
chapter #ec of such title relating to   
classification and ,general ,schedule   
pay rates2  7#f7 to obtain services as  
authorized by section #caji of title #e 
at daily rates not to exceed the        
equivalent rate prescribed for grade    
,,gs-#ah of the ,general ,schedule by   
section #eccb of title #e1 ,united      

,states ,code2 and  7#g7 to the extent  
and in such amounts as may be provided  
in advance by appropriations ,acts1 to  
enter into contracts and other          
arrangements for audits1 studies1       
analyses1 and other services with public
 agencies and with private persons1 and 
to make such payments as may be         
necessary to carry out the duties of the
 ,office4  7b7 ,chapter #af matters ,the
 ,inspector ,general shall not commence 
an investigation under section #ajbc7a7 
until the denial of a petition for      
review by the judicial council of the   
circuit under section #ceb7;c7 of this  
title or upon referral or certification 
to the ,judicial ,conference of the     
,united ,states of any matter under     
section #ced7;b7 of this title4  7c7    
,limitation ,the ,inspector ,general    
shall not have the authority--  7#a7 to 
investigate or review any matter that is
 directly related to the merits of a    
decision or procedural ruling by any    
judge or court2 or  7#b7 to punish or   

discipline any judge or court4  #ajbe4  
,reports  7a7 ,when ,to ,be ,made ,the  
,inspector ,general shall--  7#a7 make  
an annual report to the ,chief ,justice 
and to ,congress relating to the        
activities of the ,office2 and  7#b7    
make prompt reports to the ,chief       
,justice and to ,congress on matters    
that may require action by them4  7b7   
,sensitive ,matter ,if a report contains
 sensitive matter1 the ,inspector       
,general may so indicate and ,congress  
may receive that report in closed       
session4  7c7 ,duty ,to ,inform         
,attorney ,general ,in carrying out the 
duties of the ,office1 the ,inspector   
,general shall report expeditiously to  
the ,attorney ,general whenever the     
,inspector ,general has reasonable      
grounds to believe there has been a     
violation of ,federal criminal law4     
#ajbf4 ,whistleblower protection  7a7   
,in ,general ,no officer1 employee1     
agent1 contractor or subcontractor in   
the ,judicial ,branch may discharge1    

demote1 threaten1 suspend1 harass or in 
any other manner discriminate against an
 employee in the terms and conditions of
 employment because of any lawful act   
done by the employee to provide         
information1 cause information to be    
provided1 or otherwise assist in an     
investigation regarding any possible    
violation of ,federal law or regulation1
 or misconduct1 by a judge or any other 
employee in the ,judicial ,branch1 which
 may assist the ,inspector ,general in  
the performance of duties under this    
chapter4  7b7 ,civil ,action ,an        
employee injured by a violation of      
subsection 7a7 may1 in a civil action1  
obtain appropriate relief4  4  7b7      
,clerical ,amendment ,the table of      
chapters for part ,,iii of title #bh1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
item3  #fj4;,inspector ,general for the 
,judicial ,branch#ajba  4