(NewsNation) — The release of all remaining files regarding the investigation and prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is closer than ever before.
The House of Representatives is expected Tuesday to vote in favor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would compel the release of “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession” regarding the disgraced financier.
Even if the legislation clears the House following President Donald Trump’s about-face on the topic, there are more steps needed before any more documents are released.
Epstein files release? What needs to happen
For the Epstein files to come to light, lawmakers in both chambers of Congress — and Trump — must sign off on the act.
First, the House must pass the legislation with a two-thirds majority. Then it heads to the Senate, which requires a majority vote for passage.
Only after passing through both the House and Senate would the legislation make its way to Trump’s desk, where he would have to give the final signature to make it law.
Only then would the Department of Justice be compelled to release the related files.
An aide setups for a press conference to introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. (Greg Nash / The Hill) 
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 18: U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks during a news conference with Epstein abuse survivors and other lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House is expected to vote today on the legislation, which instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to release all files related to the late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) 
FILE – Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
What could be in the Jeffrey Epstein files?
The files are likely to include the names of more powerful political and financial figures. Epstein, a politically-connected socialite, has long been linked to Trump, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and more.
While it’s not completely clear who or what will be referenced in the files, it is known that the DOJ is allowed to withhold certain personal information regarding victims or anything that could jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three emails referencing Trump last week, including a 2019 message to a journalist that Trump “knew about the girls.”
Republicans released 20,000 files shortly after the email drop. The recent releases add on to the 33,000 released in September.
Epstein files vote comes as survivors share stories
As the vote heads to lawmakers, Epstein’s accusers spoke out about their experiences and the importance of transparency regarding the files.
“I know everybody sees us today as grown adults, but we are fighting for the children that were abandoned and left behind in the reckoning,” said Haley Robson, holding up a photo of herself at the age she met Epstein.
Another, Jena-Lisa Jones, described meeting Epstein at 14.
“I was a child. I was in ninth grade. I was hopeful for life and what the future had held for me,” she said. “So, just a little reminder there for everybody.”
NewsNation’s Rob Taub, Jordan Perkins, Joe Khalil and Taylor Delandro contributed to this report.