Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980 - Allows any person to file with the clerk of the court of appeals a written complaint against a judge of the court of appeals, a district court, a bankruptcy court, or a magistrate, alleging that such official has engaged in conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts. Directs the clerk to transmit such complaint to the chief judge of the court of appeals for the circuit and a copy of the complaint to the judge affected. Authorizes the chief judge to: (1) dismiss the complaint upon a finding that it relates to the merits of a decision or is frivolous; or (2) close the complaint upon assuring that appropriate corrective action has been taken. Directs a chief judge who does not enter such an order to appoint a special committee consisting of himself and equal numbers of appellate and district court judges to investigate the complaint and file a comprehensive report with the judicial council which includes recommendations for appropriate action. Authorizes the judicial council upon receipt of such a report to: (1) conduct additional investigation; (2) take appropriate action to assure the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts within the circuit; or (3) refer the complaint and its recommendations for action to the Judicial Conference of the United States. Directs the judicial council to promptly certify to the Judicial Conference a determination that conduct has been revealed which might constitute grounds for impeachment under the Constitution. Directs the Judicial Conference to: (1) take appropriate action by majority vote; or (2) certify and transmit the record of proceedings to the House of Representatives if it concurs in the council's determination that impeachment may be warranted. Allows a complainant aggrieved by a final order of the chief judge to petition the judicial council to petition the Judicial Conference for review. Provides that all orders and determinations shall be final and conclusive. Directs each judicial council to prescribe rules for the conduct of proceedings under this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on January 29, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 29, 1980: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ROBERT KASTENMEIER (D-WI) introduced it on January 29, 1980. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 29, 1980, 17026 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17026 days ago, on January 29, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers