Overview
- House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427-1 and the Senate cleared it by unanimous consent, sending it to the president, who signed it Wednesday night.
- The law sets a Dec. 19 deadline for a searchable, downloadable release of unclassified DOJ and FBI records, followed by a 15-day report explaining redactions, withheld categories, and listing all named officials and politically exposed persons.
- The statute permits withholding to protect victim identities, exclude child-sex-abuse material or classified content, and temporarily shield items tied to active federal investigations.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said DOJ will follow the law, while newly announced reviews of figures and institutions named in the records—requested by President Trump—could narrow or delay portions under the active-investigation carve-out.
- Federal holdings are extensive—hundreds of gigabytes and tens of thousands of pages, including sensitive images and videos—prompting expectations of redactions and concerns from lawmakers and survivors about partial or staggered disclosures.