California Attorney General Rob Bonta and attorneys general from 17 other states are urging Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act II (EFTA II), legislation designed to strengthen the public release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
Congress passed the original Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, 2025, requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to publicly release all unclassified records, communications, and investigative materials related to Epstein within 30 days, with narrow exceptions for victim privacy, child sexual abuse materials, national security, and active investigations.
The Justice Department missed its December 19, 2025, deadline with a release that the state officials describe as incomplete and haphazard.
EFTA II would give state and local authorities the power to sue the U.S. Attorney General over unlawfully withheld or redacted records. The bill, co-sponsored by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, also introduces criminal penalties for Justice Department employees who do not comply with disclosure requirements.
The bill is currently stalled in the House Judiciary Committee due to leadership opposition. However, the co-sponsors announced in mid-September 2026 that they had secured 218 commitments to support a discharge petition aimed at forcing a floor vote during the upcoming lame-duck session.
The attorneys general joining Bonta include officials from Arizona, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.