Moulton & Torres Introduce the Duty of Transparency Act to Require Timely Notice for Extended Congressional Absences
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) introduced the Duty of Transparency Act, legislation that would require Members of Congress to give constituents timely notice of an extended absence from voting. The full bill text is attached.
Under the bill, a Member who has a reasonable belief that they will not be physically present to participate in the proceedings of their chamber for 21 or more consecutive calendar days would be required to file a public disclosure statement within 5 calendar days of forming that belief. The disclosure would include the expected dates of the absence, an explanation for it, whether the Member will still be able to perform official duties, including remotely, and the contact information of a staff member who can be reached in the Member’s absence.
The bill would protect Members’ medical privacy: it would not require disclosure of any diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, or other protected health information, though a Member could choose to share additional detail beyond what is required. Members who are unable to comply with the initial filing deadline because they are incapacitated would be required to file once that incapacitation ends. For absences that continue, the bill would require an updated disclosure every 30 days.
Disclosure statements would be filed with the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, as applicable, and made publicly available on a website within 2 calendar days of filing. The requirement would apply equally to all Members, regardless of party or chamber, and failure to comply would fall under the jurisdiction of the applicable ethics committee.
Currently, there is no general requirement that Members proactively disclose extended absences to the public. Constituents often learn that their representative has missed a significant stretch of votes only through news coverage, vote tracking websites, or word of mouth, sometimes well after the fact.
The legislation is intended to close that gap. By requiring a public notice when an extended absence begins or is expected, the bill would give constituents a timely and reliable source of information rather than relying on outside reporting or speculation.
“When a Member of Congress is absent from their job for an extended period of time, their constituents deserve to know,” said Congressman Moulton. “Transparency isn’t optional in public office. People deserve to hear directly from the Member representing them about whether they’re able to carry out the duties of the job they were elected to do. The Duty of Transparency Act simply asks members to be upfront with the people who put them there.”
“When a public official is absent for an extended period of time, the public has a right to an honest explanation,” said Congressman Torres. “We are introducing the Duty of Transparency Act to require Members to disclose extended absences so constituents know where their representative is.”
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