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cured by the Government under a Government con-
tract.
‘‘(17) A gift of personal hospitality (as defined
in section 109(14) of the Ethics in Government Act)
of an individual other than a registered lobbyist or
agent of a foreign principal.
‘‘(18) Free attendance at a widely attended
event permitted pursuant to paragraph (d).
‘‘(19) Opportunities and benefits which are—
‘‘(A) available to the public or to a class
consisting of all Federal employees, whether or
not restricted on the basis of geographic consid-
eration;
‘‘(B) offered to members of a group or
class in which membership is unrelated to con-
gressional employment;
‘‘(C) offered to members of an organiza-
tion, such as an employees’ association or con-
gressional credit union, in which membership is
related to congressional employment and similar
opportunities are available to large segments of
the public through organizations of similar size;
‘‘(D) offered to any group or class that is
not defined in a manner that specifically dis-
criminates among Government employees on the
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basis of branch of Government or type of re-
sponsibility, or on a basis that favors those of
higher rank or rate of pay;
‘‘(E) in the form of loans from banks and
other financial institutions on terms generally
available to the public; or
‘‘(F) in the form of reduced membership or
other fees for participation in organization ac-
tivities offered to all Government employees by
professional organizations if the only restric-
tions on membership relate to professional
qualifications.
‘‘(20) A plaque, trophy, or other item that is
substantially commemorative in nature and which is
intended solely for presentation.
‘‘(21) Anything for which, in an unusual case,
a waiver is granted by the Committee on Standards
of Official Conduct.
‘‘(22) Food or refreshments of a nominal value
offered other than as a part of a meal.
‘‘(23) An item of nominal value such as a greet-
ing card, baseball cap, or a T-shirt.
‘‘(d)(1) A Member, officer, or employee may accept
an offer of free attendance at a widely attended conven-
tion, conference, symposium, forum, panel discussion, din-
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ner, viewing, reception, or similar event, provided by the
sponsor of the event, if—
‘‘(A) the Member, officer, or employee partici-
pates in the event as a speaker or a panel partici-
pant, by presenting information related to Congress
or matters before Congress, or by performing a cere-
monial function appropriate to the Member’s, offi-
cer’s, or employee’s official position; or
‘‘(B) attendance at the event is appropriate to
the performance of the official duties or representa-
tive function of the Member, officer, or employee.
‘‘(2) A Member, officer, or employee who attends an
event described in subparagraph (1) may accept a spon-
sor’s unsolicited offer of free attendance at the event for
an accompanying individual if others in attendance will
generally be similarly accompanied or if such attendance
is appropriate to assist in the representation of the House
of Representatives.
‘‘(3) A Member, officer, or employee, or the spouse
or dependent thereof, may accept a sponsor’s unsolicited
offer of free attendance at a charity event, except that re-
imbursement for transportation and lodging may not be
accepted in connection with an event that does not meet
the standards provided in subparagraph (2). the event.
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‘‘(4) For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘free
attendance’ may include waiver of all or part of a con-
ference or other fee, the provision of local transportation,
or the provision of food, refreshments, entertainment, and
instructional materials furnished to all attendees as an in-
tegral part of the event. The term does not include enter-
tainment collateral to the event, nor does it include food
or refreshments taken other than in a group setting with
all or substantially all other attendees.
‘‘(e) No Member, officer, or employee may accept a
gift the value of which exceeds $250 on the basis of the
personal friendship exception in paragraph (c)(4) unless
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct issues a
written determination that such exception applies. No de-
termination under this paragraph is required for gifts
given on the basis of the family relationship exception.
‘‘(f) When it is not practicable to return a tangible
item because it is perishable, the item may, at the discre-
tion of the recipient, be given to an appropriate charity
or destroyed.
‘‘2. (a)(1) A reimbursement (including payment in
kind) to a Member, officer, or employee from an individual
a private source other than a registered lobbyist or agent
of a foreign principal for necessary transportation, lodging
and related expenses for travel to a meeting, speaking en-
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gagement, factfinding trip or similar event in connection
with the duties of the Member, officer, or employee as an
officeholder shall be deemed to be a reimbursement to the
House of Representatives and not a gift prohibited by this
rule, if the Member, officer, or employee—
‘‘(A) in the case of an employee, receives ad-
vance authorization, from the Member or officer
under whose direct supervision the employee works,
to accept reimbursement, and
‘‘(B) discloses the expenses reimbursed or to be
reimbursed and the authorization to the Clerk of the
House of Representatives within 30 days after the
travel is completed.
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (a)(1), events, the
activities of which are substantially recreational in nature,
shall not be considered to be in connection with the duties
of a Member, officer, or employee as an officeholder.
‘‘(b) Each advance authorization to accept reimburse-
ment shall be signed by the Member or officer under whose
direct supervision the employee works and shall include—
‘‘(1) the name of the employee;
‘‘(2) the name of the person who will make the
reimbursement;
‘‘(3) the time, place, and purpose of the travel;
and
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‘‘(4) a determination that the travel is in con-
nection with the duties of the employee as an office-
holder and would not create the appearance that the
employee is using public office for private gain.
‘‘(c) Each disclosure made under paragraph (a)(1) of
expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed shall be signed
by the Member or officer (in the case of travel by that
Member or officer) or by the Member or officer under
whose direct supervision the employee works (in the case
of travel by an employee) and shall include—
‘‘(1) a good faith estimate of total transpor-
tation expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
‘‘(2) a good faith estimate of total lodging ex-
penses reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
‘‘(3) a good faith estimate of total meal ex-
penses reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
‘‘(4) a good faith estimate of the total of other
expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed;
‘‘(5) a determination that all such expenses are
necessary transportation, lodging, and related ex-
penses as defined in paragraph (d); and
‘‘(6) in the case of a reimbursement to a Mem-
ber or officer, a determination that the travel was in
connection with the duties of the Member or officer
as an officeholder and would not create the appear-
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ance that the Member or officer is using public of-
fice for private gain.
‘‘(d) For the purposes of this clause, the term ‘nec-
essary transportation, lodging, and related expenses’—
‘‘(1) includes reasonable expenses that are nec-
essary for travel for a period not exceeding 3 days
exclusive of travel time within the United States or
7 days exclusive of travel time outside of the United
States unless approved in advance by the Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct;
‘‘(2) is limited to reasonable expenditures for
transportation, lodging, conference fees and mate-
rials, and food and refreshments, including reim-
bursement for necessary transportation, whether or
not such transportation occurs within the periods de-
scribed in subparagraph (1);
‘‘(3) does not include expenditures for rec-
reational activities, nor does it include entertainment
other than that provided to all attendees as an inte-
gral part of the event, except for activities or enter-
tainment otherwise permissible under this rule; and
‘‘(4) may include travel expenses incurred on
behalf of either the spouse or a child of the Member,
officer, or employee, subject to a determination
signed by the Member or officer (or in the case of
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an employee, the Member or officer under whose di-
rect supervision the employee works) that the at-
tendance of the spouse or child is appropriate to as-
sist in the representation of the House of Represent-
atives.
‘‘(e) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall
make available to the public all advance authorizations
and disclosures of reimbursement filed pursuant to para-
graph (a) as soon as possible after they are received.
‘‘3. A gift prohibited by clause 1(a) includes the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(a) Anything provided by a registered lobbyist
or an agent of a foreign principal to an entity that
is maintained or controlled by a Member, officer, or
employee.
‘‘(b) A charitable contribution (as defined in
section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986) made by a registered lobbyist or an agent of
a foreign principal on the basis of a designation, rec-
ommendation, or other specification of a Member,
officer, or employee (not including a mass mailing or
other solicitation directed to a broad category of per-
sons or entities), other than a charitable contribu-
tion permitted by clause 4.
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‘‘(c) A contribution or other payment by a reg-
istered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal to
a legal expense fund established for the benefit of a
Member, officer, or employee.
‘‘(d) A financial contribution or expenditure
made by a registered lobbyist or an agent of a for-
eign principal relating to a conference, retreat, or
similar event, sponsored by or affiliated with an offi-
cial congressional organization, for or on behalf of
Members, officers, or employees.
‘‘4. (a) A charitable contribution (as defined in sec-
tion 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) made
by a registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal
in lieu of an honorarium to a Member, officer, or employee
shall not be considered a gift under this rule if it is re-
ported as provided in paragraph (b).
‘‘(b) A Member, officer, or employee who designates
or recommends a contribution to a charitable organization
in lieu of honoraria described in paragraph (a) shall report
within 30 days after such designation or recommendation
to the Clerk of the House of Representatives—
‘‘(1) the name and address of the registered
lobbyist who is making the contribution in lieu of
honoraria;
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‘‘(2) the date and amount of the contribution;
and
‘‘(3) the name and address of the charitable or-
ganization designated or recommended by the Mem-
ber.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make
public information received pursuant to this paragraph as
soon as possible after it is received.
‘‘5. For purposes of this rule—
‘‘(a) the term ‘registered lobbyist’ means a lob-
byist registered under the Federal Regulation of
Lobbying Act or any successor statute; and
‘‘(b) the term ‘agent of a foreign principal’
means an agent of a foreign principal registered
under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
‘‘6. All the provisions of this rule shall be interpreted
and enforced solely by the Committee on Standards of Of-
ficial Conduct. The Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct is authorized to issue guidance on any matter
contained in this rule.’’.
SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS BY THE COMMITTEE ON
HOUSE OVERSIGHT.
Clause 4(d) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end
of subparagraph (1), by striking the period at the end of
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subparagraph (2) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding
after subparagraph (2) the following:
‘‘(3) accepting a gift, other than as otherwise
provided by law, if the gift does not involve any
duty, burden, or condition, or is not made dependent
upon some future performance by the House of Rep-
resentatives and promulgating regulations to carry
out this paragraph.’’.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This resolution and the amendment made by this res-
olution shall take effect on and be effective for calendar
years beginning on January 1, 1996.
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