I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1028 

To reform certain ethics rules of the Federal Government, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 

Ms. SPEIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on House 

Administration, and Ways and Means, 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 

A BILL 

To reform certain ethics rules of the Federal Government, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restoring Integrity, 

5 Governance, Honesty, and Transparency Act of 2019’’ or 

6 the ‘‘RIGHT Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT 

2 ACT OF 1978. 

3 (a) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise expressly 

4 provided, whenever in this section an amendment or repeal 

5 is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, 

6 a section or other provision, the reference shall be consid7 ered to be made to a section or other provision of the Eth8 ics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App 101 et seq.). 

9 (b) DISCLOSURE OF TAX RETURNS OF CANDIDATES

10 FOR THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESI11 DENT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 102 is amended by 

13 adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(j)(1) Any report filed pursuant to section 101(c) 

15 by an individual who is a candidate for the office of Presi16 dent or Vice President shall include the individual’s return 

17 of Federal income tax for the taxable year ending in or 

18 with the applicable calendar year covered by such report 

19 and such returns for the previous nineteen taxable years. 

20 ‘‘(2) If any person covered by paragraph (1) files the 

21 return for such taxable year with the Internal Revenue 

22 Service after the due date for such report, such return 

23 shall be submitted (in the same manner as such a report) 

24 not later than 30 days after such return was so filed. 

25 ‘‘(3)(A) The Secretary of the Treasury, in consulta26 tion with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, 


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1 may issue regulations authorizing the redaction of per2 sonal information as the Secretary deems necessary to pre3 vent identity theft or physical danger from disclosure of 

4 tax returns required under subsection (a). 

5 ‘‘(B) Any redaction made in accordance with the reg6 ulations issued under subparagraph (A) shall be the sole 

7 and exclusive responsibility of the individual who filed the 

8 return, except that the Director may order the filer to re9 move any redaction the Director determines to be unau10 thorized.’’. 

11 (2) DISCLOSURE PERMITTED.—Section 6103(i) 

12 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by 

13 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(9) DISCLOSURE OF TAX RETURNS UNDER

15 THE ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1978.—The 

16 Director of the Office of Government Ethics may 

17 publically disclose returns described in section 102(j) 

18 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Public 

19 Law 95–521; 5 U.S.C. App. 102(j)) to the extent 

20 such returns are required to be made available pur21 suant to such section.’’. 

22 (3) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by— 

23 (A) paragraph (1) shall apply to any indi24 vidual who becomes a candidate for the office, 

25 or assumes the office, of President or Vice 


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1 President, after the date of enactment of this 

2 Act; and 

3 (B) paragraph (2) shall apply to disclo4 sures made after the date of the enactment of 

5 this Act. 

6 (c) DISCLOSURE OF DONATIONS TO LEGAL DEFENSE

7 FUNDS.—Section 102 is further amended by adding at the 

8 end the following: 

9 ‘‘(k)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and 

10 (3), each report filed pursuant to section 101 (d) and (e) 

11 shall include the following information regarding each con12 tribution or reimbursement made, during the preceding 

13 calendar year, by any source for the purpose of paying 

14 on behalf of the reporting individual, or for the purpose 

15 of reimbursing the reporting individual or any other per16 son for the payment of, a fee for legal services or a related 

17 expense incurred at the time when the reporting individual 

18 was an officer or employee of the Federal Government: 

19 ‘‘(A) The identity of the source of the contribu20 tion or reimbursement, including: 

21 ‘‘(i) a trust or other financial arrangement; 

22 ‘‘(ii) a person who made the contribution 

23 or reimbursement on behalf of another; or 

24 ‘‘(iii) any other source. 


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1 ‘‘(B) The identity of each person who provided 

2 the source with cash or a thing of value to be ap3 plied in support of the contribution or reimburse4 ment. 

5 ‘‘(C) The value of the contribution or reim6 bursement. 

7 ‘‘(D) The date of the contribution or reimburse8 ment. 

9 ‘‘(E) If the contribution or reimbursement was 

10 a thing of value other than cash, a brief description 

11 of the thing of value. 

12 ‘‘(2) The disclosure requirement pursuant to para13 graph (1) shall apply only to contributions and reimburse14 ments aggregating more than the minimal value as estab15 lished by section 7342(a)(5) of title 5, United States Code, 

16 or $250, whichever is greater, made during the preceding 

17 calendar year. 

18 ‘‘(3) The disclosure requirement pursuant to para19 graph (1) shall not apply to— 

20 ‘‘(A) a contribution or reimbursement from a 

21 relative of the reporting individual, unless the rel22 ative received, or has an arrangement to receive, 

23 cash or a thing of value to be applied in support of 

24 the contribution or reimbursement; 


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1 ‘‘(B) a contribution or reimbursement made in 

2 connection with a fee for legal services or an expense 

3 that is unrelated to the reporting individual’s em4 ployment; or 

5 ‘‘(C) a reduction or waiver of a fee for legal 

6 services by the provider of the services, unless the 

7 provider has received, or has an arrangement to re8 ceive, cash or a thing of value to be applied in sup9 port of the reduction or waiver. 

10 ‘‘(4) Nothing in paragraph (3) shall be construed to 

11 relieve a reporting individual of the disclosure requirement 

12 set forth at subsection (a)(2).’’. 

13 (d) INCREASE IN PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO FILE

14 OR FILING FALSE REPORTS.—Section 104(a)(1) is 

15 amended by striking ‘‘$50,000’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘$200,000’’. 

17 (e) CLARIFICATION OF APPLICATION TO ENTIRE EX18 ECUTIVE BRANCH.—Title IV is amended— 

19 (1) in section 401, by adding at the end the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(d) In this title, the term ‘executive agency’ has the 

22 meaning given that term in section 105 of title 5, United 

23 States Code, and includes the United States Postal Serv24 ice, the Postal Regulatory Commission, the Executive OfVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1028.IH H1028

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1 fice of the President, the Office of the Vice President, and 

2 the White House.’’; and 

3 (2) in section 402(a), by striking ‘‘, as defined 

4 in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.’’. 

5 (f) RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DIRECTOR REGARDING

6 GIFTS.—Section 402(b) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (14), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

8 end; 

9 (2) in paragraph (15), by striking the period 

10 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(16) make rules, after consultation with the 

13 Attorney General, for the requirements pertaining to 

14 acceptance of gifts by executive branch employees 

15 and procedures for compliance with such require16 ments.’’. 

17 (g) AUTHORITY REGARDING REGULATIONS.—Sec18 tion 402 is amended— 

19 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘, in consulta20 tion with the Office of Personnel Management,’’; 

21 and 

22 (2) in subsection (b)— 

23 (A) in paragraphs (1), (2), and (12), by 

24 striking ‘‘and the Office of Personnel Manage25 ment’’ in each instance; and 


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1 (B) in paragraph (15), by striking ‘‘in con2 sultation with the Office of Personnel Manage3 ment,’’. 

4 (h) LIMITATION ON LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDS.— 

5 (1) LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDS.— 

6 (A) Not later than 180 days after the date 

7 of the enactment of this Act, the Director of 

8 the Office of Government Ethics shall issue 

9 final regulations regarding the acceptance by 

10 any officer or employee of the executive branch 

11 (not including the President or Vice President) 

12 of reimbursement for, or payment of, legal fees 

13 incurred in connection with the employee’s serv14 ice in the executive branch or in connection 

15 with the employee’s participation in, assistance 

16 to, or association with, a presidential campaign 

17 or president-elect transition team. 

18 (B) Such regulations shall prohibit any ex19 ecutive branch officer or employee covered by 

20 subparagraph (A) from receiving any reim21 bursement or payment of fees as described in 

22 such subparagraph, except that the regulations 

23 may authorize, to the extent otherwise per24 mitted by applicable law and regulation (includ25 ing regulations under paragraph (16) of section 


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1 402(b) of the Ethics in Government Act of 

2 1978, as added by subsection (f)(3)), such a re3 imbursement or payment by a relative of the of4 ficer or employee or by a legal expense fund ap5 proved (in writing) by the Director that— 

6 (i) exists solely to reimburse or pay 

7 the legal fees of one individual and owes 

8 that individual an exclusive fiduciary duty, 

9 with all unused funds going to charity; 

10 (ii) makes comprehensive disclosure, 

11 as defined by the Director and including 

12 the disclosures required under section 

13 102(f) of the Ethics in Government Act of 

14 1978 (as added by subsection (c)), of all 

15 receipts and distributions by the fund; and 

16 (iii) complies with all procedural and 

17 substantive requirements the Director 

18 deems necessary for the protection of the 

19 public’s trust in Government and to pre20 vent the appearance of impropriety. 

21 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE. 

22 (a) ASSESSMENT OF PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING

23 ANTI-NEPOTISM STATUTE.—Section 3110 of title 5, 

24 United States Code, is amended as follows: 


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1 (1) In subsection (a)(1)(A), by inserting before 

2 the semicolon the following: ‘‘, including the White 

3 House and the Executive Office of the President’’. 

4 (2) By adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(f)(1) Any individual who knowingly is appointed or 

6 employed in violation of this section, and the public official 

7 who is a relative of such individual and who appoints, em8 ploys, or advocated for appointment or employment (as 

9 the case may be) of such individual, shall each be subject 

10 to a fine of $1,000 for each day the individual is so ap11 pointed or employed, except that— 

12 ‘‘(A) in the case of a career employee, the max13 imum penalty shall not exceed the employee’s pay 

14 for the period of the violation; and 

15 ‘‘(B) in the case of a noncareer employee, there 

16 shall be no limit on the liability under this sub17 section. 

18 ‘‘(2) Any individual who is employed in violation of 

19 this section shall not be eligible for access to classified in20 formation.’’. 

21 (b) HATCH ACT AMENDMENTS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 7326 of title 5, 

23 United States Code, is amended— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘An employee’’ and insert25 ing ‘‘(a) An employee’’; and 


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1 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(b)(1) If the Office of Special Counsel determines 

3 that an employee of the White House or the Executive 

4 Office of the President has violated section 7323 or 7324, 

5 the Special Counsel shall submit a report to the President. 

6 The report shall include the recommended disciplinary ac7 tion to be taken against the employee. 

8 ‘‘(2)(A) On the date a report is received under para9 graph (1), the President shall— 

10 ‘‘(i) carry out the proposed disciplinary action 

11 contained in that report against the applicable em12 ployee; or 

13 ‘‘(ii) decline to carry out the proposed action. 

14 ‘‘(B) If the President declines to carry out the pro15 posed action pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii), not later 

16 than 30 days after receiving the report the President shall 

17 submit (in writing) notification to the Special Counsel and 

18 the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Over19 sight and Reform of the House of Representatives and the 

20 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af21 fairs of the Senate, including a detailed explanation of why 

22 the action was not taken. 

23 ‘‘(C) The Special Counsel shall publish the notifica24 tion received under subparagraph (B) on the Office’s pub25 lic Internet website’’. 


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1 (2) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by 

2 paragraph (1) shall apply to any violation of section 

3 7323 or 7324 of title 5, United States Code, by an 

4 employee of the White House or the Executive Office 

5 of the President occurring after the date of enact6 ment of this Act. 

7 SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE OF TRAVEL BY SENIOR FEDERAL OF8 FICIALS. 

9 (a) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 30 days after the 

10 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of Gen11 eral Services shall promulgate regulations to modify the 

12 requirements of section 301–70.907 of title 41, Code of 

13 Federal Regulations, to require that the report required 

14 under such section— 

15 (1) be submitted on a quarterly basis; and 

16 (2) include, with respect to any instance of 

17 travel of a senior Federal official or non-Federal 

18 traveler— 

19 (A) an explanation of the decision to use a 

20 Government aircraft and the type of aircraft 

21 used; and 

22 (B) the estimated cost to the Government. 

23 (b) PUBLICATION.—The Administrator shall publish 

24 any report submitted under such section on the General 

25 Services Administration’s public Internet website. 


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1 SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR EX2 PENSES INCURRED AT PROPERTY OWNED BY 

3 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—In fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal 

5 year thereafter, no Federal funds may be obligated or ex6 pended to pay for an expense incurred at a property owned 

7 or operated by any covered individual or an immediate 

8 family member of such individual if the payment of the 

9 expense would result in a net financial benefit for such 

10 individual or an immediate family member of such indi11 vidual, or any trust or organization in which the individual 

12 or the immediate family member has a financial interest. 

13 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

14 (1) the term ‘‘covered individual’’ means— 

15 (A) the President; 

16 (B) the Vice President; and 

17 (C) any Federal employee; 

18 (2) the term ‘‘Federal employee’’ has the mean19 ing given the term ‘‘employee’’ in section 2105 of 

20 title 5, United States Code, and includes any officer 

21 or employee of the United States Postal Service, the 

22 Postal Regulatory Commission, the Executive Office 

23 of the President, or the White House; and 

24 (3) the term ‘‘immediate family member’’, with 

25 respect to a covered individual, means— 

26 (A) the spouse of such individual; or 


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1 (B) any adult or minor child of such indi2 vidual. 

3 SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON DONATIONS BY GOVERNMENT 

4 CONTRACTORS TO INAUGURAL COMMITTEES. 

5 Section 317 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 

6 of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30119) is amended— 

7 (1) by amending the heading to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘CONTRIBUTIONS AND OTHER DONATIONS BY GOV9 ERNMENT CONTRACTORS’’; 

10 (2) in subsection (a)— 

11 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, or di12 rectly or indirectly to make a donation of 

13 money or other thing of value, or to promise ex14 pressly or impliedly to make any such donation 

15 to an Inaugural Committee’’ after ‘‘political 

16 purpose or use’’; and 

17 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or do18 nation’’ after ‘‘contribution’’; and 

19 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub20 section: 

21 ‘‘(d) For purposes of this section, the term ‘Inaugural 

22 Committee’ has the meaning given it by section 501 of 

23 title 36, United States Code.’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. DISCLOSURE OF AND PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN 

2 DONATIONS TO INAUGURAL COMMITTEE. 

3 Section 510(c) of title 36, United States Code is 

4 amended by striking the period at the end and inserting 

5 ‘‘or from a government contractor (as described in section 

6 317(a)(1) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30119(a)(1)).’’. 

Æ 


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