I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 839 
To prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees 
or their families through Federal funds or contracting, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 2, 2017 
Mr. RUIZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee 
on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers 
and employees or their families through Federal funds 
or contracting, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Public Service Spending Integrity Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Americans’ trust in government is essential 
to our democracy. 
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(2) Allowing public service by an elected official 
to seemingly converge with their own personal gain 
is corrosive to Americans’ faith in government. 
(3) Members of Congress and the executive 
branch have substantial power and discretion over 
the disbursement of public funds, and with that 
comes the obligation to create a barrier between 
public service and personal gain. 
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND CON-
TRACTING AT BUSINESSES OWNED BY CER-
TAIN GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND EMPLOY-
EES. 
(a) LIMITATION ON FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
(1) PRESIDENT; VICE PRESIDENT; CABINET.— 
Beginning in fiscal year 2017 and in each fiscal year 
thereafter, no Federal funds may be obligated or ex-
pended for purposes of procuring goods or services 
at any business owned or controlled by a covered in-
dividual or any family member of such an individual. 
(2) MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.—Beginning in fis-
cal year 2017 and in each fiscal year thereafter, no 
funds from a Members’ Representational Allowance 
of a Member of the House of Representatives (in-
cluding a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the 
Congress) or a Senators’ Official Personnel and Of-
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fice Expense Account may be obligated or expended 
for purposes of procuring goods or services at any 
business owned or controlled by the Member of Con-
gress or any family member of such a Member. 
(b) PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTS.—No federal agen-
cy may enter into a contract with a business owned or 
controlled by a covered individual or any family member 
of such an individual. 
(c) DETERMINATION OF OWNERSHIP.—For purposes 
of this section, a business shall be deemed to be owned 
or controlled by a covered individual or any family member 
of such an individual, or a Member of Congress or a family 
member of such a Member, if the covered individual or 
member of family or the Member of Congress or member 
of family (as the case may be)— 
(1) is a member of the board of directors or 
similar governing body of the business; or 
(2) directly or indirectly owns or controls 51 
percent or more of the voting shares of the business. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered 
individual’’ means— 
(A) the President; 
(B) the Vice President; 
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(C) the head of any Executive department 
(as that term is defined in section 101 of title 
5, United States Code); and 
(D) any individual occupying a position 
designated by the President as a Cabinet-level 
position. 
(2) FAMILY MEMBER.—The term ‘‘family mem-
ber’’ means an individual with any of the following 
relationships to a covered individual or a Member of 
Congress: 
(A) Spouse, and parents thereof. 
(B) Sons and daughters, and spouses 
thereof. 
(C) Parents, and spouses thereof. 
(D) Brothers and sisters, and spouses 
thereof. 
(E) Grandparents and grandchildren, and 
spouses thereof. 
(F) Domestic partner and parents thereof, 
including domestic partners of any individual in 
paragraphs (2) through (5). 
(3) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘federal 
agency’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
102 of title 40, United States Code. 
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(4) MEMBER OF CONGRESS.—The term ‘‘Mem-
ber of Congress’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 2106 of title 5, United States Code, but 
does not include the Vice President. 
Æ 
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