HONEST Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the Holding Officials to Necessary Ethical Standards and Transparency Act of 2026 or the HONEST Act of 2026.
Section 116(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 250(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in paragraph (5)(B), by striking and at the end;
in paragraph (6)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and
by adding at the end the following:
in the case of an offense with respect to which the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Section 1591(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in paragraph (1), by striking or at the end;
in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and
by adding at the end the following:
if the offense was carried out by an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, by a fine under this title, and by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Section 2241 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life;
in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life; and
in subsection (c), by inserting after not less than 30 years or for life the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 2243 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, commits an offense under this section shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Section 2244 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, commits an offense under this section shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Section 2251(e) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after not less than 35 years nor more than life the following: , but if such person is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, such person shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Section 2251A of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a), by inserting after and by a fine under this title the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life; and
in subsection (b), by inserting after and by a fine under this title the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 2252(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, subsection (a), shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 2252A(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, subsection (a), shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 2422 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or if the offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
Section 2423 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as subsection (h) through (j), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, commits an offense under this section shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly engages in sexual intercourse (including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex) with a person, and at the time of such conduct, the officer or Member or the person with whom the officer or Member engaged in such conduct, was married to another person, shall be fined under this title, and imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
The table of sections for chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: