A man holds a sign calling for the release of the Epstein files during a press conference with alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein on Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington, DC.

After both chambers of Congress overwhelmingly agreed to pass a bill pushing the Justice Department to release its information on the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, questions remain about when the files could be seen by the public.

Of those who voted on the bill, every Democrat and almost every Republican elected to pass it in respective votes in the House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Now, the bill is in the hands of President Donald Trump, who previously indicated he would sign it if it came across his desk. However, there is a chance that even if it is signed into law, there could be a delay in the files being released.

Here's what to know.

When will Trump sign the Epstein files bill?

It's unclear exactly when Trump may sign the bill.

However, the president said in the days leading up to the vote on the bill that he would sign it into law.

"House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party," he wrote on Truth Social on Nov. 16.

Under the Constitution, when a bill is passed by both chambers of Congress, the president has ten days to sign or veto the bill.

When will the Epstein files be released?

If the Epstein bill is signed into law, it will compel the Justice Department to release any relevant files on the sex offender. When that would happen, however, is uncertain.

Under the Epstein files bill, the Justice Department would be able to withhold documents that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary."

Days before Trump called on House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files, he ordered the Justice Department to launch an investigation into Democrats linked to Epstein. Therefore, it's possible that Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi could opt not to release some documents as part of the provision protecting federal investigations.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will the Epstein files be released? Here's what to know.

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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