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H.R. 7694: Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act

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H.R. 7694: Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-07-21 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Ordered to be Reported (Amended).

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2020-07-21 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Ordered to be Reported (Amended). Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act

Plain summary

Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act This bill requires the President and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide certain information when the President grants a pardon for certain offenses. The bill also amends criminal statutes relating to the bribery of public officials. If the President pardons or commutes the sentence of an individual for certain crimes, the President and DOJ shall submit to Congress all materials obtained, produced, or prepared by certain government entities relating to the offense and pardon. This requirement shall apply to a pardon for an offense against the United States involving the President or a relative of the President, or for specified offenses such as witness tampering and obstruction of justice. The President and DOJ shall make these submissions no later than 30 days after the pardon. The bill also amends a criminal statute prohibiting the bribery of public officials to state that for the purposes of the statute (1) the President or Vice President is a public official ; and (2) a pardon, commutation, or reprieve (or an offer of such) is an official act . (Generally, the statute prohibits, among other things, corruptly offering anything of value to a public official with intent to influence an official act.)

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

Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act

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. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 7694, Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act of 2020 (2020-11-09)

Cosponsors on this site

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] reported raising $10.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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).
Statute
A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr7694 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116