Accountability and Transparency in Ethics Act

Summary

Accountability and Transparency in Ethics Act - Establishes an independent Investigations Commission within the legislative branch. Requires annual ethics training for Members and employees of the House of Representatives and for registered lobbyists. Amends Rule XXV (Limitations on Outside Earned Income and Acceptance of Gifts) of the Rules of the House to require advance authorization by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of any privately-funded trip by any Member, officer, or employee of the House. Amends such Rule and Rule XXXV (Gifts) of the Standing Rules of the Senate with respect to: (1) the market value of a flight on an airplane not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire; (2) a ban on gifts worth less than $50; and (3) disbursements for a national party convention event in honor of a Member, officer, or employee. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to: (1) transfer certain functions of the Clerk of the House to the Committee with respect to registration of lobbyists; (2) revise certain registration and disclosure requirements; and (3) prescribe civil fines for lobbyists offering certain gifts to Members, officers, or employees. Amends the federal criminal code to revise the one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former Members, officers, or employees of either chamber of Congress. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit conversion of leadership PAC funds to personal use. Prohibits payment of campaign funds, except nominal reimbursements, to immediate family members of candidates. Prohibits involvement of a registered lobbyist in administration of certain campaign committees unless a candidate for federal office. Amends Rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) of the Rules of the House and Rule XXXVII (Conflict of Interest) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require a Member of Congress or Senator to prohibit all of his or her staff from having any official contact with the Member's or Senator's spouse or immediate family member if such individual is a registered lobbyist or is employed or retained by one to influence legislation. Expresses the sense of Congress that the use of a family relationship by a lobbyist who is an immediate family member of a Member of Congress to gain special advantages over other lobbyists is inappropriate.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 4 January 2007

   Introduced

   Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 4 January 2007

   Introduced

   Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 4 January 2007

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 4 January 2007

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 2 February 2007

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in House · 4 January 2007 · Download file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 4 January 2007

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 4 January 2007

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 4 January 2007

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  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

• Rep. Castle, Michael N. [R-DE-At Large] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. Platts, Todd Russell [R-PA-19] · R · Sponsor
• · hsju00 · Standing
• · hsso00 · Standing
• · hsru00 · Standing
• · hsha00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Establishing within the House of Representatives an Office of Congressional Ethics, and for other purposes.
• related to → Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish the House Ethics Commission.
• related to ← House Ethics Commission Establishment Act of 2007