H.R. 522: Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-13 · Law · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017

Plain summary

Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017 This bill prohibits government officials from entering into or enforcing a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States that provides for a payment to any person or entity other than the United States. The bill provides exceptions to allow payments that remedy actual harm (including to the environment) caused by the party making the payment or that constitute payment for services rendered in connection with the case. Government officials or agents who violate this prohibition may be removed from office or required to forfeit to the government any money they hold for such purposes to which they may otherwise be entitled. Federal agencies must report annually for seven years to the Congressional Budget Office about the parties, funding sources, and distribution of funds for their settlement agreements permitted by the exceptions in this bill. Agency inspectors general must report annually to Congress about any of their agency's settlement agreements that violate this bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] · 26 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Mike Johnson (R-LA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
CBO cost estimate: The Congressional Budget Office's estimate of how a federal bill would change government spending and revenue. CBO is nonpartisan.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr522.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr522 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115