Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 185) to advance responsible policies.

This resolution provides a special rule for consideration of H.R. 185 and amends that bill to direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make publicly available certain records related to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.

Under H.R. 185, as amended by the resolution, DOJ must publicly disclose all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell. The records include unclassified records referring or relating to Epstein's detention and death; flight logs of aircraft owned or used by Epstein; individuals named in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, or immunity or plea agreements; immunity deals, sealed settlements, or plea bargains of Epstein or his associates; entities with ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks; and internal Department of Justice communications concerning decisions to investigate or charge Epstein or his associates. 

However, under the amended bill, DOJ may withhold or redact portions of records with written justification that such portions contain (1) victims' personally identifiable information; (2) child sexual abuse materials; (3) images of death, physical abuse, or injury; (4) information which would jeopardize an active federal investigation or prosecution; or (5) classified information. DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.

Further, within 15 days of completing the required disclosures, DOJ must provide Congress with a report listing all categories of records released and withheld, all redactions made and their legal basis, and all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 581 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 581

     Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 185) to advance 
                         responsible policies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2025

    Mr. Massie (for himself and Mr. Khanna) submitted the following 
        resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 185) to advance 
                         responsible policies.

    Resolved, That immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the 
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 
185) to advance responsible policies. All points of order against 
consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a 
substitute specified in section 4 of this resolution shall be 
considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, 
are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final 
passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees; and 
(2) one motion to recommit.
    Sec. 2.  Clause 1(c) of rule XIX and clause 8 of rule XX shall not 
apply to the consideration of H.R. 185.
    Sec. 3.  The Clerk shall transmit to the Senate a message that the 
House has passed H.R. 185 no later than one week after passage.
    Sec. 4.  The amendment in the nature of a substitute referred to in 
the first section of this resolution is as follows:
            Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
        following:

``SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    ``This Act may be cited as the `Epstein Files Transparency Act'.

``SEC. 2. RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall, subject to 
subsection (b), make publicly available in a searchable and 
downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, 
communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the 
Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
and United States Attorneys' Offices, that relate to:
            ``(1) Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations, 
        prosecutions, or custodial matters.
            ``(2) Ghislaine Maxwell.
            ``(3) Flight logs or travel records, including but not 
        limited to manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs 
        or immigration documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or 
        vehicle owned, operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any 
        related entity.
            ``(4) Individuals, including government officials, named or 
        referenced in connection with Epstein's criminal activities, 
        civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or 
        investigatory proceedings.
            ``(5) Entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or 
        governmental) with known or alleged ties to Epstein's 
        trafficking or financial networks.
            ``(6) Any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea 
        bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his 
        associates.
            ``(7) Internal DOJ communications, including emails, memos, 
        meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge, 
        investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his 
        associates.
            ``(8) All communications, memoranda, directives, logs, or 
        metadata concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration, 
        misplacement, or concealment of documents, recordings, or 
        electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his 
        detention and death, or any investigative files.
            ``(9) Documentation of Epstein's detention or death, 
        including incident reports, witness interviews, medical 
        examiner files, autopsy reports, and written records detailing 
        the circumstances and cause of death.
    ``(b) Prohibited Grounds for Withholding.--No record shall be 
withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of any of the following:
            ``(1) Embarrassment, reputational harm, or political 
        sensitivity, including to any government official, public 
        figure, or foreign dignitary.
    ``(c) Permitted Withholdings.--
            ``(1) The Attorney General may withhold or redact the 
        segregable portions of records that--
                    ``(A) contain personally identifiable information 
                of victims or victims' personal and medical files and 
                similar files the disclosure of which would constitute 
                a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;
                    ``(B) depicts or contains child sexual abuse 
                materials (CSAM) as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and 
                prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 2252-2252A;
                    ``(C) would jeopardize an active federal 
                investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that 
                such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary;
                    ``(D) depicts or contains images of death, physical 
                abuse, or injury of any person; or
                    ``(E) contain information specifically authorized 
                under criteria established by an Executive order to be 
                kept secret in the interest of national defense or 
                foreign policy and are in fact properly classified 
                pursuant to such Executive order.
            ``(2) All redactions must be accompanied by a written 
        justification published in the Federal Register and submitted 
        to Congress.
            ``(3) To the extent that any covered information would 
        otherwise be redacted or withheld as classified information 
        under this section, the Attorney General shall declassify that 
        classified information to the maximum extent possible.
                    ``(A). If the Attorney General makes a 
                determination that covered information may not be 
                declassified and made available in a manner that 
                protects the national security of the United States, 
                including methods or sources related to national 
                security, the Attorney General shall release an 
                unclassified summary for each of the redacted or 
                withheld classified information.
            ``(4) All decisions to classify any covered information 
        after July 1, 2025 shall be published in the Federal Register 
        and submitted to Congress, including the date of 
        classification, the identity of the classifying authority, and 
        an unclassified summary of the justification.

``SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    ``Within 15 days of completion of the release required under 
Section 2, the Attorney General shall submit to the House and Senate 
Committees on the Judiciary a report listing:
            ``(1) All categories of records released and withheld.
            ``(2) A summary of redactions made, including legal basis.
            ``(3) A list of all government officials and politically 
        exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials, 
        with no redactions permitted under subsection (b)(1).''.
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