PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 128.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 24, 1997
Independent Counsel Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Ethics in Government Act to revise the provision regarding preliminary investigation by the Attorney General of any covered person to include investigation by the Attorney General of any such person who may have violated any provision of: (1) the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974, as amended; (2) the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act, as amended; or (3) the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act, as amended. Authorizes the Committee on the Judiciary of either House of the Congress to petition the division of the court of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit assigned for the purpose of appointing independent counsels to appoint an independent counsel under specified circumstances. Requires the division of the court, upon receipt of a congressional application, to appoint an independent counsel and define that independent counsel's prosecutorial jurisdiction upon a determination by such division that the Attorney General's failure to appoint an independent counsel is an abuse of discretion.
People & committees
Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R–PA
Legislative record
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Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 128.
Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Introduced in Senate
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Source last updated: Aug 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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