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officer, or employee and are customarily pro-
vided to others in similar circumstances;
‘‘(B) customarily provided by a prospective
employer in connection with bona fide employ-
ment discussions; or
‘‘(C) provided by a political organization
described in section 527(e) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 in connection with a fund-
raising or campaign event sponsored by such an
organization.
‘‘(8) Pension and other benefits resulting from
continued participation in an employee welfare and
benefits plan maintained by a former employer.
‘‘(9) Informational materials that are sent to
the office of the Member, officer, or employee in the
form of books, articles, periodicals, other written
materials, audio tapes, videotapes, or other forms of
communication.
‘‘(10) Awards or prizes which are given to com-
petitors in contests or events open to the public, in-
cluding random drawings.
‘‘(11) Honorary degrees (and associated travel,
food, refreshments, and entertainment) and other
bona fide, nonmonetary awards presented in recogni-
tion of public service (and associated food, refresh-
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ments, and entertainment provided in the presen-
tation of such degrees and awards).
‘‘(12) Donations of products from the State
that the Member represents that are intended pri-
marily for promotional purposes, such as display or
free distribution, and are of minimal value to any in-
dividual recipient.
‘‘(13) Food, refreshments, and entertainment
provided to a Member or an employee of a Member
in the Member’s home State, subject to reasonable
limitations, to be established by the Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct.
‘‘(14) An item of little intrinsic value such as
a greeting card, baseball cap, or a T shirt.
‘‘(15) Training (including food and refresh-
ments furnished to all attendees as an integral part
of the training) provided to a Member, officer, or
employee, if such training is in the interest of the
House of Representatives.
‘‘(16) Bequests, inheritances, and other trans-
fers at death.
‘‘(17) Any item, the receipt of which is author-
ized by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, or
any other statute.
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‘‘(18) Anything which is paid for by the Federal
Government, by a State or local government, or se-
cured by the Government under a Government con-
tract.
‘‘(19) A gift of personal hospitality of an indi-
vidual, as defined in section 109(14) of the Ethics
in Government Act.
‘‘(20) Free attendance at a widely attended
event permitted pursuant to paragraph (e).
‘‘(21) 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-
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criminates among Government employees on the
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.
‘‘(22) A plaque, trophy, or other memento of
modest value.
‘‘(23) Anything for which, in exceptional cir-
cumstances, a waiver is granted by the Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct.
‘‘(e)(1) Except as prohibited by paragraph (a), a
Member, officer, or employee may accept an offer of free
attendance at a widely attended convention, conference,
symposium, forum, panel discussion, dinner, viewing, re-
ception, or similar event, provided by the sponsor of the
event, if—
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‘‘(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) Except as prohibited by paragraph (a), a Mem-
ber, officer, or employee, or the spouse or dependent there-
of, may accept a sponsor’s unsolicited offer of free attend-
ance at a charity event, except that reimbursement for
transportation and lodging may not be accepted in connec-
tion with the event.
‘‘(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,
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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, or food or refreshments
taken other than in a group setting with all or substan-
tially all other attendees.
‘‘(f) No Member, officer, or employee may accept a
gift the value of which exceeds $250 on the basis of the
personal relationship exception in paragraph (d)(3) or the
close personal friendship exception in section 106(d) of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1994 unless the Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct issues a written deter-
mination that one of such exceptions applies.
‘‘(g)(1) The Committee on Standards of Official Con-
duct is authorized to adjust the dollar amount referred
to in paragraph (c)(5) on a periodic basis, to the extent
necessary to adjust for inflation.
‘‘(2) The Committee on Standards of Official Con-
duct shall provide guidance setting forth reasonable steps
that may be taken by Members, officers, and employees,
with a minimum of paperwork and time, to prevent the
acceptance of prohibited gifts from lobbyists.
‘‘(3) When it is not practicable to return a tangible
item because it is perishable, the item may, at the discre-