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107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1081

To amend title 44, United States Code, to direct the Archivist of the United

States to maintain an inventory of all gifts received from domestic

sources for the President, the Executive Residence at the White House,

or a Presidential archival depository.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 15, 2001

Mr. OSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Government Reform

A BILL

To amend title 44, United States Code, to direct the Archivist of the United States to maintain an inventory of

all gifts received from domestic sources for the President,

the Executive Residence at the White House, or a Presidential archival depository.

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 ‘‘Accountability for

5 Presidential Gifts Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) There is no clear accountability for Presi2 dential gifts, since multiple lists of such gifts are

3 separately maintained by different Federal agencies,

4 including by the White House Gifts Unit, the Na5 tional Park Service, and the National Archives and

6 Records Administration.

7 (2) The lack of a consolidated record of the re8 ceipt, administration, and disposition of Presidential

9 gifts creates confusion about the status of some of

10 those gifts.

11 (3) Requiring the National Archives and

12 Records Administration to maintain an inventory of

13 Presidential gifts would eliminate such confusion

14 and ensure accountability.

15 SEC. 3. INVENTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL GIFTS.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 22 of title 44, United

17 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol18 lowing:

19 ‘‘§ 2208. Inventory of Presidential gifts

20 ‘‘(a) The Archivist shall maintain a current inventory

21 of all Presidential gifts.

22 ‘‘(b) The inventory shall include, with respect to each

23 Presidential gift, the following information:

24 ‘‘(1) The date of receipt by the Federal Govern25 ment.
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1 ‘‘(2) A description.

2 ‘‘(3) The estimated cost or appraised value.

3 ‘‘(4) The donor.

4 ‘‘(5) Any indication of whether the intent of the

5 donor was to make the gift to the United States or

6 to the President personally.

7 ‘‘(6) The current location and status of the gift,

8 including identification of the Federal agency or

9 other person having control of the gift.

10 ‘‘(c) The head of a Federal office or agency, including

11 any unit in the Executive Office of the President, having

12 possession of any record containing information regarding

13 the receipt, location, control, or disposition of a Presi14 dential gift shall, upon receipt of such information, report

15 such information to the Archivist in accordance with regu16 lations issued by the Archivist under this section.

17 ‘‘(d) The Archivist shall make available to the public,

18 upon request, any information in the inventory maintained

19 under this section.

20 ‘‘(e) The Archivist shall report to the Committee on

21 Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee

22 on Government Reform of the House of Representatives

23 each proposed disposition of a Presidential gift other

24 than—

25 ‘‘(1) a gift from a relative of the President; and
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1 ‘‘(2) a gift having a value of less than $250.

2 ‘‘(f)(1) The Archivist shall issue regulations imple3 menting this section.

4 ‘‘(2) The Archivist may not issue any nonbinding

5 guidance for purposes of this section.

6 ‘‘(g) In this section:

7 ‘‘(1) The term ‘gift’ has the meaning that term

8 has under section 109 of the Ethics in Government

9 Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).

10 ‘‘(2) The term ‘Presidential gift’ means any gift

11 to or for the benefit of the President personally, the

12 President in his or her official capacity, the Execu13 tive Residence at the White House, or a Presidential

14 archival depository, other than a gift from a foreign

15 government (as that term is defined in section

16 7342(a) of title 5, United States Code).’’.

17 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

18 for chapter 22 of title 44, United States Code, is amended

19 by adding at the end the following:

‘‘2208. Inventory of Presidential gifts.’’.

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