Congressman Biggs's Monitor Accountability Act Introduced in the U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the Monitor Accountability Act as a companion bill to Congressman Biggs’s legislation passed in the U.S. House earlier this spring.

The bill sets clear rules for courts’ use of federal monitors, ending the profiteering exemplified in Maricopa County and New Orleans, Louisiana. Late last year, the federal consent decree for the New Orleans Police Department ended after 13 years, costing taxpayers an estimated $100 million. While Louisiana taxpayers are no longer footing the bill for this specific monitor, Maricopa County taxpayers are not as fortunate. The court-appointed monitor in Maricopa County has been in place for over a decade and has cost taxpayers $350 million—and still counting. These are just two examples of federal monitors across the nation that rack up expensive bills and undermine the public safety of the communities they oversee.

“I’m grateful for Senator Kennedy’s partnership in this fight to reinsert sorely needed congressional oversight over these out-of-control federal monitors,” said Congressman Biggs. “The stories of Maricopa County and New Orleans are abusive and well-documented, showing how these monitors operate without oversight across America. As I have said repeatedly, the destructive effects these monitors have on government budgets and public safety necessitate congressional action. I hope the Senate quickly passes this bill and sends it to the White House to be enacted into law.”

“Federal court monitors can serve an important purpose, but taxpayers should not have to fund open-ended monitorships that drag on for years without basic accountability,” said Senator Kennedy. “We basically let government contractors decide whether their own government contract keeps going. The Monitor Accountability Act would cap fees, limit terms and bring transparency to a system operating for far too long on autopilot.”

If enacted into law, the Monitor Accountability Act would require federal district courts to follow common-sense rules when appointing monitors to oversee state or local government agencies. This legislation includes the following terms:

• Term limits: Monitors may serve no more than five years and cannot be reappointed under the same court order, preventing long‑term control by any single individual.
   
• No revolving door: Successive monitors cannot come from the same law firm or employer, ensuring independence.
   
• Fee caps & transparency: Monitor compensation is capped and courts encouraged to require pro bono or reduced-cost work to control costs and ensure transparency.
   
• Public input: Courts must announce the proposed monitor and allow public comment before appointment.
   
• Off-ramp for states / localities: A monitorship may only be extended if the state or locality has not achieved substantial and sustained compliance, preventing open‑ended oversight.
   
• Judicial transfer: After six years, the case must be reassigned to a different judge to avoid prolonged control by a single court.
   
• Retroactive fix: Immediately covers monitorships older than six years, including Maricopa County, triggering required replacement of both monitor and judge.

As the bill made its way through the legislative process in the U.S. House, several law enforcement officials and organizations highlighted their support for the policy, including Maricopa County Rachel Mitchell, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, Peace Officers Research Association of California, Major County Sheriffs of America, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, and Arizona Police Association.

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