119-s256

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 256 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 256

To require the President to publish a statement of reasons for pardons, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 25, 2025

Mr. Blumenthal introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the President to publish a statement of reasons for pardons, 
 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 ``Pardon Transparency and 
Accountability Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Executive clemency.--The term ``executive clemency''--
        (A) means any exercise by the President of the 
 power to grant reprieves or pardons under clause 1 of 
 

section 2 of article II of the Constitution of the 
 United States; and
        (B) includes any pardon, commutation, reprieve, or 
 remission of a fine.

    (2) Victim.--The term ``victim'' has the meaning given the 
 term in 

section 503

    (e) of the Victims' Rights and Restitution 
 Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. 20141

    (e) ).

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR PARDONS.

 On the date on which any grant of executive clemency is made, the 
President shall publish in the Federal Register and on the official 
website of the President a written explanation of the reasons for 
granting such executive clemency.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE PARDON ATTORNEY.

    (a) Justice Impact Statement.--The Pardon Attorney shall, as soon 
as the Pardon Attorney becomes aware of any potential grant of 
executive clemency being considered by the President, begin preparing a 
Justice Impact Statement, which shall be made available to the 
President and Congress as soon as practicable but not later than 30 
days after the date on which the Pardon Attorney becomes so aware, and 
which shall include--

    (1) a description of the efforts of the Pardon Attorney--
        (A) to contact victims as required under subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) to make each determination required under 
 paragraphs

    (2) and

    (3) of subsection
            (c) ; and

    (2) any written statement submitted by a victim under 
 subsection
            (c) (1) .

    (b) Notification.--Any employee of the Department of Justice or 
Executive Office of the President who learns that the President is 
considering a grant of executive clemency shall immediately inform the 
Pardon Attorney of such consideration.
            (c) Determinations Required.--In the preparation of any Justice 
Impact Statement under subsection

    (a) , the Pardon Attorney shall make 
all reasonable efforts to--

    (1) inform the victims of any crime committed by the person 
 receiving a grant of executive clemency that they may submit 
 written statements for inclusion in the Justice Impact 
 Statement prepared by the Pardon Attorney;

    (2) determine the opinions of the victims described in 
 paragraph

    (1) regarding the potential grant of executive 
 clemency; and

    (3) determine the opinions of the Attorney General, the 
 Secretary of Homeland Security, and other Federal, State, 
 local, and Tribal law enforcement officials, as appropriate, as 
 to the potential impact of the grant of executive clemency on 
 the success of any ongoing investigation or prosecution.
            (d) Justice Impact Statement Completion.--The Justice Impact 
Statement required under subsection

    (a) shall be completed and 
submitted even if submitted after executive clemency is granted.

SEC. 5. PARDON LOBBYING DISCLOSURE.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-

Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 
(2 U.S.C. 1602) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (8) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (A) --
            (i) in clause
            (iii) , by striking ``or'' 
 after the semicolon;
            (ii) in clause
            (iv) , by striking the period 
 and inserting ``; or''; and
            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (v) the issuance of a grant of executive 
 clemency, as defined in 

section 2 of the Pardon 
 Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025, in 
 the form of a pardon, commutation of sentence, 
 reprieve, or remission of fine.''; and
        (B) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (xii) , by striking ``made 
 to'' and inserting ``except as provided in subparagraph
        (A)
            (v) , made to''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (10) , by inserting after the word 
 ``period'' the following: ``, or any individual who is employed 
 or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for 
 services that include not fewer than 1 lobbying contact 
 relating to a potential grant of executive clemency, as defined 
 in 

section 2 of the Pardon Transparency and Accountability Act 
 of 2025, regardless of the percent of the services provided by 
 the individual to that client that consist of lobbying 
 activities.''

    (b) Registration of Lobbyists.--

Section 4 of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
 ``

    (e) Registration Relating to Grants of Executive Clemency.--Not 
later than 2 days after the date on which a lobbyist first makes a 
lobbying contact pertaining to a potential grant of executive clemency, 
as defined in 

section 2 of the Pardon Transparency and Accountability 
Act of 2025, or is employed or retained to make a lobbying contact 
pertaining to a potential grant of executive clemency, as so defined in 
that Act, whichever is earlier, such lobbyist (or the organization 
employing such lobbyist) shall register with the Secretary of the 
Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives in accordance with 
the requirements of this section, regardless of the total income or 
expenses related to such lobbying activities.''.
            (c) Reports by Registered Lobbyists.--

Section 5 of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
 ``

    (f) Lobbying Contacts Relating to Executive Clemency.--Not later 
than 2 days after a lobbying contact pertaining to a potential grant of 
executive clemency, as defined in 

section 2 of the Pardon Transparency 
and Accountability Act of 2025, each registrant shall file a report 
with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of 
Representatives containing the information described in subsection

    (b) relating to the lobbying contact pertaining to the potential grant of 
executive clemency.''.

SEC. 6. STUDIES AND REPORTS.

    (a) Studies.--

    (1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is 180 days 
 after the date of enactment of this Act, and every other year 
 thereafter, the Pardon Attorney shall conduct a study on the 
 extent of compliance or noncompliance with this Act.

    (2) Reports to congress.--Not later than April 1 of each 
 year following the completion of the study required under 
 subsection, the Pardon Attorney shall submit to Congress a 
 report containing the findings of the study and any 
 recommendations to improve compliance with this Act.

SEC. 7. SEVERABILITY.

 If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by this Act, or the 
application of such a provision or amendment to any particular person 
or circumstance is held invalid, the remaining provisions of this Act 
and the amendments made by this Act, and the application of such 
remaining provisions and amendments to any other person or 
circumstance, shall not be affected thereby.
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