I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1973 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit public officials from 
engaging in undisclosed self-dealing. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2011 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself and Ms. CHU) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit public 
officials from engaging in undisclosed self-dealing. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Public Officials 
Accountability Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON UNDISCLOSED SELF-DEALING BY 
PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 63 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1346 
the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 1346A. Undisclosed self-dealing by public officials 
‘‘(a) UNDISCLOSED SELF-DEALING BY PUBLIC OFFI-
CIALS.—For purposes of this chapter, the term ‘scheme 
or artifice to defraud’ also includes a scheme or artifice 
by a public official to engage in undisclosed self-dealing. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 
‘‘(1) OFFICIAL ACT.—The term ‘official act’— 
‘‘(A) includes any act within the range of 
official duty, and any decision, recommendation, 
or action on any question, matter, cause, suit, 
proceeding, or controversy, which may at any 
time be pending, or which may by law be 
brought before any public official, in such pub-
lic official’s official capacity or in such official’s 
place of trust or profit; 
‘‘(B) may be a single act, more than one 
act, or a course of conduct; and 
‘‘(C) includes a decision or recommenda-
tion that a government should not take action. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC OFFICIAL.—The term ‘public offi-
cial’ means an officer, employee, or elected or ap-
pointed representative, or person acting for or on be-
half of, the United States, a State, or a subdivision 
of a State, or any department, agency or branch of 
government thereof, in any official function, under 
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or by authority of any such department, agency, or 
branch of government. 
‘‘(3) STATE.—The term ‘State’ includes a State 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States. 
‘‘(4) UNDISCLOSED SELF-DEALING.—The term 
‘undisclosed self-dealing’ means that— 
‘‘(A) a public official performs an official 
act for the purpose, in whole or in part, of ben-
efitting or furthering a financial interest of— 
‘‘(i) the public official; 
‘‘(ii) the spouse or minor child of a 
public official; 
‘‘(iii) a general business partner of the 
public official; 
‘‘(iv) a business or organization in 
which the public official is serving as an 
employee, officer, director, trustee, or gen-
eral partner; or 
‘‘(v) an individual, business, or orga-
nization with whom the public official is 
negotiating for, or has any arrangement 
concerning, prospective employment or fi-
nancial compensation; and 
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‘‘(B) the public official knowingly falsifies, 
conceals, covers up, or fails to disclose material 
information regarding that financial interest 
that is required to be disclosed by any Federal, 
State, or local statute, rule, regulation, or char-
ter applicable to the public official.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 63 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1346 the following new item: 
‘‘1346A. Undisclosed self-dealing by public officials.’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
section apply to acts engaged in on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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