S. 5121 — Supreme Court Ethics Act

This section requires the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue a code of conduct for all federal judges within one year of enactment that incorporates at minimum the disqualification requirements under section 455 of title 28, United States Code. It also requires the Supreme Court to issue a code of conduct for its justices within one year of enactment that meets the same minimum standards.

This section establishes an Ethics Investigations Counsel to enforce the Supreme Court's code of conduct. The Court must appoint the Counsel within 90 days after issuing the code, with a renewable 4-year term and removal only for cause. The Counsel adopts rules to receive public complaints electronically or by mail, conducts investigations into potential violations and other conduct prejudicial to the Court's administration, may appoint assistants with the Chief Justice's approval and retain outside attorneys, and must issue an annual public report on complaints received and actions taken.

This section requires any justice of the Supreme Court who disqualifies himself or herself from a proceeding under section 455 of title 28, United States Code, to disclose the reasons for the disqualification in the public record. It also requires any justice who denies a party's motion for such disqualification to disclose the reasons for the denial in the public record.