Results for
White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019
HR #391 | Last Action: 1/9/2019White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019 This bill creates transparency requirements for ethics waivers (i.e., waivers from the requirement to sign an ethics pledge) issued to executive branch appointees. Specifically, such ethics waivers must be transmitted to the Office of Government Ethics and made publicly available online.Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act of 2019
HR #745 | Last Action: 2/21/2020Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill expands the duties and authorities of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and reauthorizes the OGE through FY2023. Among other things, the bill authorizes the OGE to * issue subpoenas during investigations, and * order corrective actions (e.g., divestiture) and issue administrative remedies (e.g., suspension or demotion). The OGE must provide ethics education and training to all designated and alternate designated agency ethics officials, who must register with, and report to, the OGE and their appointing authority. Agency ethics officials must provide specified ethics records to the OGE in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format; such information must be published on the OGE's website.Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act
S #896 | Last Action: 3/27/2019Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act This bill expands the duties and authorities of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). Among other things, the bill authorizes the OGE to * issue subpoenas during investigations; and * order corrective actions (e.g., divestiture) and issue administrative remedies (e.g., suspension or demotion). Additionally, the OGE shall be the central repository of all laws, rules, and regulations relating to conflicts of interest and other ethics issues, recusals, waivers, and exemptions of such laws, rules, and regulations. The OGE shall make available to the public all financial disclosure reports and records relating to conflicts of interest and other ethics issues that are determined to be public information. The OGE must provide ethics education and training to all designated and alternate designated agency ethics officials, who must register with, and report to, the OGE and their appointing authority.To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require Federal political appointees to sign a binding ethics pledge, and for other purposes.
HR #1523 | Last Action: 3/5/2019This bill codifies certain provisions of an executive order requiring political appointees in the executive branch to sign an ethics pledge.Ethics in Public Service Act
HR #209 | Last Action: 1/3/2019Ethics in Public Service Act This bill codifies certain provisions of an executive order requiring political appointees in the executive branch to sign an ethics pledge.RIGHT Act of 2019
HR #1028 | Last Action: 2/6/2019Restoring Integrity, Governance, Honesty, and Transparency Act of 2019 or the RIGHT Act of 2019 This bill revises ethics requirements applicable to certain federal government employees. Specifically, the bill requires * candidates for President or Vice President to disclose 20 years of tax returns, which the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) may publish after making necessary redactions; * the disclosure of information regarding contributions to a government official's legal defense fund; * the OGE to prohibit any executive branch officer or employee from receiving reimbursement for, or payment of, legal fees incurred in connection with executive branch service; * the Office of Special Counsel to report and recommend disciplinary action for certain ethics violations by an employee of the White House or the Executive Office of the President; and * travel reports regarding the use of government aircraft to be submitted quarterly and to include an explanation of the decision to use such aircraft and the estimated cost to the government. The bill prohibits * the use of federal funds to pay for expenses incurred at a property owned or operated by the President, Vice President, or any federal employee if such payment would result in a financial benefit for such individuals; and * government contractors from donating to inaugural committees. The bill further provides that * executive agencies subject to ethics reporting and disclosure requirements include the Executive Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President, and the White House; and * restrictions on the employment of relatives include the White House and the Executive Office of the President.Supporting the development of guidelines for ethical development of artificial intelligence.
HRES #153 | Last Action: 2/27/2019This resolution supports the development of guidelines for the ethical development of artificial intelligence, with aims including engagement among industry, government, academia, and civil society.Transition Team Ethics Improvement Act
HR #964 | Last Action: 2/5/2019Transition Team Ethics Improvement Act This bill establishes ethics requirements for a President-elect's transition team. The bill requires a President-elect to submit to Congress a report with a list of any individual (1) for whom an application for a security clearance was submitted, by 10 days after its submission; or (2) provided a security clearance, by 10 days after it was provided. The Federal Transition Coordinator must negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the transition representative of each eligible candidate by October 1 (currently November 1) of a year during which a presidential election occurs. Each memorandum of understanding shall include an agreement that the eligible candidate will implement and enforce an ethics plan to guide the conduct of the transition beginning on the date on which the candidate becomes the President-elect. The ethics plan shall include * a description of the ethics requirements that will apply to all transition team members; * a description of how the transition team will address the role on the team of registered lobbyists, former registered lobbyists, persons registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, foreign nationals, other foreign agents, and transition team members with sources of income or clients that are not disclosed to the public; * a Code of Ethical Conduct, to which each transition team member will sign and be subject to, that reflects the content of the ethics plans and that meets other specified requirements; and * a description of how the transition team will enforce the Code of Ethical Conduct.Transition Team Ethics Improvement Act
S #338 | Last Action: 2/5/2019Transition Team Ethics Improvement Act This bill establishes ethics requirements for a President-elect's transition team. The bill requires a President-elect to submit to Congress a report with a list of any individual (1) for whom an application for a security clearance was submitted, by 10 days after its submission; or (2) provided a security clearance, by 10 days after it was provided. The Federal Transition Coordinator must negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the transition representative of each eligible candidate by October 1 (currently November 1) of a year during which a presidential election occurs. Each memorandum of understanding shall include an agreement that the eligible candidate will implement and enforce an ethics plan to guide the conduct of the transition beginning on the date on which the candidate becomes the President-elect. The ethics plan shall include * a description of the ethics requirements that will apply to all transition team members; * a description of how the transition team will address the role on the team of registered lobbyists, former registered lobbyists, persons registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, foreign nationals, other foreign agents, and transition team members with sources of income or clients that are not disclosed to the public; * a Code of Ethical Conduct, to which each transition team member will sign and be subject to, that reflects the content of the ethics plans and that meets other specified requirements; and * a description of how the transition team will enforce the Code of Ethical Conduct.Public Service Transparency Act
HR #3688 | Last Action: 7/10/2019Public Service Transparency Act This bill requires candidates for the office of President or Vice President, nominees for a cabinet-level position, and the current occupants of such positions to disclose their federal tax returns. The bill authorizes the Office of Government Ethics to disclose such tax returns to the extent they are required to be made available.TRUST Act
HR #2332 | Last Action: 4/18/2019Tax Returns Unveiled to Secure Transparency Act or the TRUST Act This bill requires any candidate for President or Vice President to report their last 10 years of federal income tax returns to the Office of Government Ethics, which the office shall publish on its public website after making the necessary redactions to prevent identity theft or physical danger.Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2019
S #882 | Last Action: 3/26/2019Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2019 This bill requires the President and Vice President to submit to Congress and the Office of Government Ethics a disclosure of financial interests. The President and Vice President shall (1) include a detailed description of each financial interest of the President and Vice President, the spouse of the President and Vice President, or a minor child of the President and Vice President; and (2) include the tax returns filed by or on behalf of the President and Vice President for the three most recent taxable years. The President, the Vice President, the spouse of the President or Vice President, and any minor child of the President or Vice President must divest any financial interest posing a potential conflict of interest by transferring such interest to a qualified blind trust. The Office of Government Ethics shall submit to Congress, the President, and the Vice President an annual report regarding the financial interests of such officials, their spouses, and any of their minor children.To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Independent Agencies, Office of Government Ethics for fiscal year 2024.
HR #2133 | Last Action: 3/29/2023Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act of 2019
HR #4277 | Last Action: 9/10/2019Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act of 2019 This bill addresses the conduct of Department of Defense (DOD) officials regarding relationships with military contractors. With respect to certain DOD officials involved in contracting, the bill increases the following: (1) the period during which an official leaving DOD and seeking compensation from a contractor must obtain an ethics opinion concerning post-employment restrictions, (2) the length of time such requests must be retained in a central repository, and (3) the frequency of Inspector General reviews of providing and retaining opinions. Each procurement contract of a value exceeding $10 million must require the contractor to annually report information (including concerning lobbying activities) about former officials and military officers who received compensation within four years after leaving service. Such a contract shall include a clause prohibiting the contractor from receiving the compensation. Contracts with contractors that received an average of more than $1 billion in revenue in the previous three years from DOD or the Department of Energy (related to the U.S. nuclear program) shall prohibit the employment or payment of certain DOD officials within four years of leaving DOD service. In addition, the bill includes restrictions and conditions concerning: * lobbying by former officials and officers; * stock ownership and trading; * employment that is subject to the emoluments clause of the Constitution; * work by certain senior officials for a foreign entity (including work that conflicts with U.S. national security interests); * financial disclosure by large prospective contractors; and * public disclosure of information regarding the identification of general or flag officers and their finances and conduct.Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act of 2019
S #1503 | Last Action: 5/16/2019Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act of 2019 This bill addresses the conduct of Department of Defense (DOD) officials regarding relationships with military contractors. With respect to certain DOD officials involved in contracting, the bill increases the following: (1) the period during which an official leaving DOD and seeking compensation from a contractor must obtain an ethics opinion concerning post-employment restrictions, (2) the length of time such requests must be retained in a central repository, and (3) the frequency of Inspector General reviews of providing and retaining opinions. Each procurement contract of a value exceeding $10 million must require the contractor to annually report information (including concerning lobbying activities) about former officials and military officers who received compensation within four years after leaving service. Such a contract shall include a clause prohibiting the contractor from receiving the compensation. Contracts with contractors that received an average of more than $1 billion in revenue in the previous three years from DOD or the Department of Energy (related to the U.S. nuclear program) shall prohibit the employment or payment of certain DOD officials within four years of leaving DOD service. In addition, the bill includes restrictions and conditions concerning: * lobbying by former officials and officers; * stock ownership and trading; * employment that is subject to the emoluments clause of the Constitution; * work by certain senior officials for a foreign entity (including work that conflicts with U.S. national security interests); * financial disclosure by large prospective contractors; and * public disclosure of information regarding the identification of general or flag officers and their finances and conduct.A resolution calling for international ethical standards in genome editing research.
SRES #275 | Last Action: 7/15/2019This resolution calls for the development of international standards regarding the ethical clinical use of genome-edited human embryos.Ethical Use of Facial Recognition Act
S #3284 | Last Action: 2/12/2020Ethical Use of Facial Recognition Act This bill prohibits any officer, employee, or contractor of a federal agency from engaging in specified activities with respect to facial recognition technology without a warrant until a congressional commission established by this bill recommends rules governing the use and limitations on both government and commercial use of such technology. Specifically, it prohibits any such individual from setting up a camera to be used in connection with facial recognition technology, accessing or using information obtained from such technology, or importing such technology to identify an individual in the United States until Congress enacts legislation implementing the guidelines established by the commission. The bill permits an aggrieved person to bring a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief in the appropriate U.S. district court. No federal funds may be used by a state or local government to invest in facial recognition software, purchase facial recognition technology services, or acquire images for use in facial recognition technology systems.Transparency in Executive Branch Official Finances Act
HR #5433 | Last Action: 12/13/2019Transparency in Executive Branch Official Finances Act This bill establishes disclosure requirements for the President, Vice President, and senior government officials, and it establishes penalties for political appointees who engage in certain conduct. Specifically, the bill requires the President and Vice President, and any candidate for such offices, to disclose their federal income tax returns for the previous five years. The Office of Government Ethics must publish such tax returns after making redactions to prevent identity theft or physical danger. In addition, the bill requires senior government officials to make certain disclosures with respect to (1) any foreign business relationship, and (2) any ownership interest of at least 10% of the outstanding shares in a private enterprise or corporation or any intellectual property protected or enforced by a foreign country. Further, the bill establishes penalties for any political appointee who solicits or receives a payment from a foreign-owned business, organization affiliated with a foreign-owned business or foreign government, or a foreign national.Requiring the supervisors of employees of Congressional offices to submit reports on the outside compensation earned by such employees, and for other purposes.
HCONRES #62 | Last Action: 9/12/2019This concurrent resolution requires supervisors of congressional employees who receive outside compensation for their congressional work to report to congressional ethics committees on that compensation.To amend section 442 of title 18, United States Code, to exempt certain interests in mutual funds, unit investment trusts, employee benefit plans, and retirement plans from conflict of interest limitations for the Government Publishing Office.
HR #5277 | Last Action: 12/3/2019This bill revises conflict-of-interest limitations for personnel at the Government Publishing Office (GPO). Current law prohibits GPO personnel from having any printing-related interest. This bill creates an exemption for certain interests—interests in diversified mutual funds, diversified unit investment trusts, employee benefit plans, and retirement plans—that have underlying holdings in printing-related interests.Providing amounts for the expenses of the Committee on Ethics in the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress.
HRES #212 | Last Action: 3/11/2019This resolution provides amounts for the expenses of the House Committee on Ethics for the 116th Congress.Disclosing Official Spending at Presidential Businesses Act
HR #4454 | Last Action: 9/20/2019Disclosing Official Spending at Presidential Businesses Act This bill requires each executive agency to submit a quarterly report to the Office of Government Ethics listing each instance that the agency obligated or expended federal funds with any privately held company that is owned by the President. With respect to each such instance, the report shall include the amount of the obligation or expenditure and the name of the company. Not later than 10 days after receiving a report, the office shall publish the report on its public website.Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2020
HR #3351 | Last Action: 6/25/2019Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2020 This bill provides FY2020 appropriations for several federal departments and agencies, including * the Department of the Treasury, * the Executive Office of the President, * the judiciary, * the District of Columbia, and * several independent agencies. The independent agencies funded in the bill include * the Administrative Conference of the United States, * the Consumer Product Safety Commission, * the Election Assistance Commission, * the Federal Communications Commission, * the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, * the Federal Election Commission, * the Federal Labor Relations Authority, * the Federal Trade Commission, * the General Services Administration, * the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, * the Merit Systems Protection Board, * Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, * the National Archives and Records Administration, * the National Credit Union Administration, * the Office of Government Ethics, * the Office Personnel Management, * the Office of Special Counsel, * the Postal Regulatory Commission, * the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, * the Securities and Exchange Commission, * the Selective Service System, * the Small Business Administration, * the U.S. Postal Service, and * the U.S. Tax Court. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.For the People Act of 2019
HR #1 | Last Action: 3/8/2019For the People Act of 2019 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity, election security, political spending, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration and voting access and limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill provides for states to establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions. The bill also sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, protecting the security of the voter rolls, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect the security and integrity of U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. This bill addresses campaign spending, including by expanding the ban on foreign nationals contributing to or spending on elections; expanding disclosure rules pertaining to organizations spending money during elections, campaign advertisements, and online platforms; and revising disclaimer requirements for political advertising. This bill establishes an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The system involves federal matching of small contributions for qualified candidates. This bill sets forth provisions related to ethics in all three branches of government. Specifically, the bill requires a code of ethics for federal judges and justices, prohibits Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, expands enforcement of regulations governing foreign agents, and establishes additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill also requires candidates for President and Vice President to submit 10 years of tax returns.