HR7934-119

What This Bill Does

The Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2026 adds a new title 5 section requiring each agency that enters covered settlement agreements to create and maintain a public online database. A covered settlement agreement includes settlement agreements or deferred prosecution agreements that require at least $10,000,000 in explicitly obligated payments, appoint a special master or monitor, involve a state, metropolitan city, local government, county, other nonfederal government unit, or meet additional criteria set by the Office of Management and Budget Director. It excludes United States Trustee Program matters, federal personnel actions, non-prosecution agreements, plea bargains, Internal Revenue Code matters, and False Claims Act actions under chapter 46 of title 18. Within two years, agencies must publish searchable categories, settlement text, complaints or petitions, judicial orders, parties, payment amounts and purposes, attorney-fee details, compliance or enforcement mechanisms, monitor identities and reports, originating-agency information, and copies of notices and press releases. Agencies must identify legal or confidentiality limits, update entries at least every six months, preserve records for at least 15 years, and submit annual consolidated reports to OMB and Congress.

Who Benefits and How

Congressional oversight committees benefit from annual agency and OMB settlement reports that aggregate payment, monitoring, attorney-fee, and compliance information. The Office of Management and Budget benefits from a defined role setting additional covered-agreement criteria and receiving reports. Journalists and watchdog organizations benefit from searchable public databases instead of scattered agency settlement releases. State and local governments benefit from visibility into settlement terms when they are parties to covered agreements. Settling parties and the public benefit from clearer information about payment purpose, enforcement mechanisms, and special master or monitor work. Federal agency litigators benefit from a standard disclosure framework that clarifies what must be posted and what can be withheld for legal or confidentiality reasons.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal agencies entering covered settlements must build databases, categorize agreements, post documents, update information every six months, preserve records for 15 years, and prepare annual reports. Agency records managers and web teams must maintain searchable formats and handle confidentiality redactions. Agency counsel must identify legal bars to publication and document withholding reasons. Special masters and monitors face more public disclosure of appointment, payment, reports, and compliance work. Settling parties in high-dollar, monitored, or intergovernmental agreements face greater public visibility into agreement terms and payment details. The OMB Director must set possible additional criteria and consolidate annual reporting for Congress.

Key Provisions

• Creates a new title 5 section 307 requiring public agency databases for covered settlement agreements.
• Defines covered settlements to include agreements with at least $10 million in payments, special masters or monitors, state or local government parties, or OMB-designated criteria.
• Excludes trustee, personnel, tax, non-prosecution, plea, and False Claims Act matters from the covered-settlement definition.
• Requires agencies to publish settlement text, pleadings, court orders, parties, payment amounts, attorney fees, compliance mechanisms, and monitor reports.
• Requires database updates at least every six months and record preservation for at least 15 years after termination.
• Requires annual agency reports to OMB and Congress and an OMB annual consolidated report to Congress.