H.R. 8309 — To amend title 28, United States Code, to prohibit Presidents and Vice Presidents from receiving damages payments from the United States, and for other purposes.

This section establishes rules in new 28 U.S.C. §2417 prohibiting settlement payments, damages, attorney's fees, or other monetary or in-kind recoveries from the United States by covered individuals—defined as the President; Vice President; a former President whose former Vice President is the current President; their spouses or dependent children; and related trusts or entities—in administrative claims or civil actions. Specifically, the section (1) bans covered individuals from recovering such payments or directing them to third parties; (2) prohibits covered individuals from filing administrative claims seeking them; (3) bars agencies from processing or fulfilling such claims; and (4) limits courts to awarding only actual or compensatory damages in civil actions, and only if an independent court-appointed counsel represents the agency, the agency cooperates fully, and all filings and audio proceedings are publicly posted online contemporaneously. For former covered individuals after leaving office, the section permits claims or suits if (1) a removable-only-for-cause career expert leads agency review; (2) no executive branch employee appointed by a covered individual participates; (3) settlement agreements are published in the Federal Register within 7 days; (4) payments are similarly published within 7 days; and (5) Congress receives the claim and resolution outcome. Violations by covered individuals trigger disgorgement, civil penalties up to the greater of $1 million or the payment amount, and imprisonment up to 5 years; agency officers or employees face penalties up to $50,000 and imprisonment up to 6 months. Enforcement has a 10-year statute of limitations.