SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEG-
RITY. 
There is established, as an independent office within 
the legislative branch of the Government, the Office of 
Public Integrity (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Office’’). 
SEC. 2. DIRECTOR. 
(a) APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR.—(1) The Office 
shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed joint-
ly by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
majority leader of the Senate, and the minority leaders 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The selec-
tion and appointment of the Director shall be without re-
gard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fit-
ness to perform the duties of the Office. 
(2)(A) No individual who has been a registered lob-
byist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 or an 
agent of a foreign government under the Foreign Agents 
Registration Act within 5 years of the date of appointment 
shall be eligible for appointment as the Director. 
(B) The Director may not have been a Member of 
the House of Representatives or Senator. 
(C) The Director shall possess demonstrated integ-
rity, independence, and public credibility and shall have 
training or experience in law enforcement, the judiciary, 
or as a member of a Federal, State, or local ethics enforce-
ment agency. 
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(b) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the directorship shall be 
filled in the manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
(c) TERM OF OFFICE.—The Director shall serve for 
a term of 5 years and may be reappointed. 
(d) REMOVAL.—The Director may be removed by a 
majority of the appointing authority for— 
(1) disability that substantially prevents the Di-
rector from carrying out his duties; 
(2) incompetence; 
(3) neglect of duty; or 
(4) malfeasance, including a felony or conduct 
involving moral turpitude. 
In removing the Director, a statement of the reasons for 
removal shall be provided in writing to the Director by 
the members who voted for removing the Director and 
shall be made public. 
(e) COMPENSATION.—The Director shall be com-
pensated at the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 3. DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE OFFICE. 
(a) DUTIES.—The Office is authorized— 
(1) to receive, monitor, and oversee financial 
disclosure and other reports filed by Members of 
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Congress and officers and employees of Congress 
under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, and 
reports filed by registered lobbyists under the Lob-
bying Disclosure Act of 1995; 
(2) to investigate any alleged violation, by a 
Member, officer, or employee of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate, of any rule or other 
standard of conduct applicable to the conduct of 
such Member, officer, or employee under applicable 
House or Senate rules in the performance of his du-
ties or the discharge of his responsibilities; 
(3) to present a case of probable ethics viola-
tions to the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct of the House of Representatives or the Sen-
ate Select Committee on Ethics; 
(4) to make recommendations to the Committee 
on Standards of Official Conduct of the House of 
Representatives or the Senate Select Committee on 
Ethics that it report to the appropriate Federal or 
State authorities any substantial evidence of a viola-
tion by a Member, officer, or employee of the House 
of Representatives or the Senate of any law applica-
ble to the performance of his duties or the discharge 
of his responsibilities, which may have been disclosed 
in an investigation by the Office; 
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(5) to provide information and informal guid-
ance to Members, officers and employees of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate regarding 
any rules and other standards of conduct applicable 
to such individuals in their official capacities, and 
develop and carry out periodic educational briefings 
for Members, officers, and employees of the House 
of Representatives on those laws, rules, regulations, 
or other standards; 
(6) to give consideration to the request of any 
Member, officer, or employee of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate for a formal advisory 
opinion or other formal ruling, subject to the review 
of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 
of the House of Representatives or the Senate Select 
Committee on Ethics, as applicable, with respect to 
the general propriety of any current or proposed 
conduct of such Member, officer, or employee and, 
with appropriate deletions to assure the privacy of 
the individual concerned, to publish such opinion for 
the guidance of other Members, officers, and em-
ployees of the House of Representatives or the Sen-
ate; 
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(7) to conduct periodic and random reviews and 
audits of reports filed with it to ensure compliance 
with all applicable laws and rules; and 
(8) to provide informal guidance to registrants 
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 of their 
responsibilities under such Act. 
(b) POWERS.— 
(1) OBTAINING
INFORMATION.—Upon request 
of the Office, the head of any agency or instrumen-
tality of the Government shall furnish information 
deemed necessary by the Director to enable the Of-
fice to carry out its duties. 
(2) REFERRALS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUS-
TICE.—Whenever the Director has reason to believe 
that a violation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 may have occurred, he shall refer that matter 
to the Department of Justice for it to investigate. 
(3) GENERAL AUDITS.—The Director shall have 
the authority to conduct general audits of filings 
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. 
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SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIONS AND INTERACTION WITH THE 
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFI-
CIAL CONDUCT OR THE SENATE SELECT 
COMMITTEE ON ETHICS. 
(a) INITIATION OF ENFORCEMENT MATTERS.—(1) 
An investigation may be initiated by the filing of a com-
plaint with the Office by a Member of Congress or an out-
side complainant, or by the Office on its own initiative, 
based on any information in its possession. The Director 
shall not accept a complaint concerning a Member of Con-
gress within 60 days of an election involving such Member. 
(2) In the case of a complaint that is filed, the Direc-
tor shall within 30 days make an initial determination as 
to whether the complaint should be dismissed or whether 
there are sufficient grounds to conduct an investigation. 
The subject of the complaint shall be provided by the Di-
rector with an opportunity during the 30-day period to 
challenge the complaint. In any case where the Director 
decides to dismiss a complaint, the Director can determine 
the complaint to be frivolous. 
(3) Whenever the Director determines that a com-
plaint is frivolous, the Director shall not accept any future 
complaint filed by that same person and the complainant 
shall be required to pay for the costs of the Office result-
ing from such complaint. The Director may refer the mat-
ter to the Department of Justice to collect such costs. 
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(iii) the vote of each member of the com-
mittee on such roll-call vote is included in the 
report; and 
(iv) dissenting members are allowed to 
issue their own report detailing their reasons 
for disagreeing with the majority vote; and 
(C) if the applicable committee votes to overrule 
the determination of the Director pursuant to sub-
paragraph (B), the Director may publish and make 
available to the general public a report detailing the 
reasons that the Director concluded there were suffi-
cient grounds to conduct an investigation. 
(b) CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS.—(1) If the Direc-
tor determines that there are sufficient grounds to conduct 
an investigation and his determination is not overruled 
under subsection (a)(5), the Director shall conduct an in-
vestigation to determine if probable cause exists that a vio-
lation occurred. 
(2) As part of an investigation, the Director may— 
(A) administer oaths; 
(B) issue subpoenas; 
(C) compel the attendance of witnesses and the 
production of papers, books, accounts, documents, 
and testimony; and 
(D) take the deposition of witnesses. 
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(3) If a person disobeys or refuses to comply with 
a subpoena, or if a witness refuses to testify to a matter, 
he may be held in contempt of Congress. 
(c) PRESENTATION OF CASE TO HOUSE COMMITTEE 
ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT OR SENATE SE-
LECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS.—(1) If the Director deter-
mines, upon conclusion of an investigation, that probable 
cause exists that an ethics violation has occurred, the Di-
rector shall notify the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct of the House of Representatives or the Senate 
Select Committee on Ethics, as applicable, of this deter-
mination. 
(2) The applicable committee may overrule the deter-
mination of the Director if, within 10 legislative days— 
(A) the committee by an affirmative, roll-call 
vote of two-thirds of the full committee votes to 
overrule the determination of the Director; 
(B) the committee issues a public report detail-
ing its reasoning for overruling the Director; 
(C) the vote of each member of the committee 
on such roll-call vote is included in the report; and 
(D) dissenting members are allowed to issue 
their own report detailing their reasons for dis-
agreeing with the majority vote. 
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(3) If the applicable committee votes to overrule the 
determination of the Director pursuant to paragraph (2), 
the Director may publish and make available to the gen-
eral public a report detailing the reasons that he concluded 
there were sufficient grounds to present such case to the 
committee. 
(4)(A) If the Director determines there is probable 
cause that an ethics violation has occurred and the Direc-
tor’s determination is not overruled, the Director shall 
present the case and evidence to the Committee on Stand-
ards of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives 
or the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, as applicable, 
to hear and make a determination pursuant to its rules. 
(B) The applicable committee shall vote upon wheth-
er the individual who is the subject of the investigation 
has violated any rules or other standards of conduct appli-
cable to that individual in his official capacity. Such votes 
shall be a roll-call vote of the full committee, a quorum 
being present. The committee shall issue a public report 
which shall include the vote of each member of the com-
mittee on such roll-call vote. Dissenting members may 
issue their own report detailing their own reasons for dis-
agreeing with the majority vote. 
(f) SANCTIONS.—Whenever the Committee on Stand-
ards of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives 
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or the Senate Select Committee on Ethics finds that an 
ethics violation has occurred, the Director shall rec-
ommend appropriate sanctions to the committee and 
whether a matter should be referred to the Department 
of Justice for investigation. 
SEC. 5. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW AND IN THE RULES OF 
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
(a) RULES OF THE HOUSE.—(1) Paragraphs (a) 
through (e) of clause 3 of rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives are amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) The Committee on Standards of Official Con-
duct has the following functions: 
‘‘(1) The committee may recommend to the 
House from time to time such administrative actions 
as it may consider appropriate to establish or en-
force standards of official conduct for Members, Del-
egates, the Resident Commissioner, officers, and em-
ployees of the House. A letter of reproval or other 
administrative action of the committee pursuant to 
an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity re-
ferred to in subparagraph (2) shall only be issued or 
implemented as a part of a report required by such 
subparagraph. 
‘‘(2) The committee may hear, in an adjudica-
tory capacity, a case presented to it by the Director 
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of the Office of Public Integrity (hereinafter referred 
to in this clause as the ‘Director’) of an alleged vio-
lation by a Member, Delegate, Resident Commis-
sioner, officer, or employee of the House of the Code 
of Official Conduct or of a rule or other standard of 
conduct applicable to the conduct of such Member, 
Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee in the performance of his duties or the dis-
charge of his responsibilities. After notice and hear-
ing (unless the right to such a hearing is waived by 
the Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, offi-
cer, or employee), the committee shall report to the 
House its findings of fact and recommendations, if 
any, for the final disposition of any such investiga-
tion and such action as the committee may consider 
appropriate in the circumstances. 
‘‘(3) After the Director determines that there 
are sufficient grounds to pursue an investigation of 
any individual referred to in subparagraph (2) or 
that there is probable cause to believe that a viola-
tion has occurred, the committee may overrule this 
determination by a two-thirds vote of the committee 
within 10 legislative days after being so notified by 
the Director. Any such vote shall be recorded and 
made available to the public. If the committee re-
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verses the Director’s determination to proceed with 
the case, then the committee shall file in a timely 
manner a report to the House and made available to 
the general public explaining its decision. Committee 
members who voted against reversing the Director’s 
determination may file their own public reports on 
the matter. 
‘‘(4) The committee may report to the appro-
priate Federal or State authorities, either with the 
approval of the House or by an affirmative vote of 
a majority of the members of the committee, any 
substantial evidence of a violation by a Member, 
Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee of the House, of a law applicable to the per-
formance of his duties or the discharge of his re-
sponsibilities that may have been disclosed to the 
committee by the Director as the result of an inves-
tigation. 
‘‘(b)(1) Unless approved by an affirmative vote of a 
majority of its members, the Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct may not report a resolution, report, or 
recommendation relating to the official conduct of a Mem-
ber, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee of the House. 
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Copies of the executed oath shall be retained by the Clerk 
as part of the records of the House. This paragraph estab-
lishes a standard of conduct within the meaning of para-
graph (a)(2). Breaches of confidentiality shall be inves-
tigated by the Committee on Standards of Official Con-
duct and appropriate action shall be taken.’’. 
(2) Paragraphs (f) through (q) of clause 3 of rule 
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amend-
ed by redesignating paragraphs (f) through (i) as para-
graphs (e) through (h), respectively, and by striking para-
graphs (j) through (q), and in redesignated paragraph (g) 
by striking ‘‘any hearing held by an adjudicatory sub-
committee or’’ both places it appears. 
(3) Clause 5(a)(4) of rule X of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives is repealed. 
(b) STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE.—øLanguage 
to be inserted by the Senate.¿ 
(c) CHANGES IN ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 
1978.—(1) The following provisions of the Ethics in Gov-
ernment Act of 1978 are each amended as follows: 
(A) In section 101(h), strike ‘‘the congressional 
ethics committees’’ and insert ‘‘the Director of the 
Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(B) In section 103(h)(1)(A), strike ‘‘Clerk of 
the House of Representatives’’ each place it appears 
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and insert ‘‘Director of the Office of Public Integ-
rity’’. 
(C) In section 103(h)(1)(A), strike ‘‘Secretary 
of the Senate’’ each place it appears and insert ‘‘Di-
rector of the Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(D) In section 103(i), strike ‘‘Clerk of the 
House of Representatives or Secretary of the Senate, 
as the case may be’’ and insert ‘‘Director of the Of-
fice of Public Integrity’’. 
(E) In section 103, strike subsection (j) and re-
designate subsection (k) as subsection (j). 
(F) In subsection (j) (as redesignated), strike 
‘‘Clerk of the House of Representatives and Sec-
retary of the Senate’’ and insert ‘‘Director of the Of-
fice of Public Integrity’’ and strike ‘‘Clerk and the 
Secretary’’ both places it appears and insert ‘‘Direc-
tor of the Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(G) In section 105, strike ‘‘Clerk of the House 
of Representatives, and the Secretary of the Senate’’ 
each place it appears and insert ‘‘Director of the Of-
fice of Public Integrity’’. 
(H) In section 105, strike ‘‘Clerk or the Sec-
retary of the Senate, as the case may be’’ each place 
it appears and insert ‘‘Director of the Office of Pub-
lic Integrity’’. 
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(I) In section 105, strike ‘‘Clerk, or Secretary 
of the Senate, as the case may be’’ and insert ‘‘Di-
rector of the Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(J) In section 105(d), strike ‘‘Clerk of the 
House of Representatives or the Secretary of the 
Senate’’ and insert ‘‘Director of the Office of Public 
Integrity’’. 
(K) In section 109, strike paragraph (1) and 
redesignate the succeeding paragraphs accordingly. 
(L) In paragraph (2) of section 111, strike ‘‘Se-
lect Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the 
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the 
House of Representatives, as appropriate,’’ and in-
sert ‘‘Director of the Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(2) Section 803 of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 
(2 U.S.C 29d) is amended by striking ‘‘Committee on 
Standards of Official Conduct’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of 
Public Integrity’’. 
(d) CHANGES IN LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT OF 
1995.— 
(1) TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION TO OFFICE OF 
PUBLIC INTEGRITY.— 
(A) FILING OF REGISTRATIONS.—Section 
4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1603) is amended— 
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(i) in subsection (a)(1), by striking 
‘‘Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of 
the House of Representatives’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Office of Public Integrity’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (d), by striking 
‘‘Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of 
the House of Representatives’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(B) REPORTS
BY
REGISTERED
LOBBY-
ISTS.—Section 5(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604(a)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk 
of the House of Representatives’’ and inserting 
‘‘Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(C) DISCLOSURE
AND
ENFORCEMENT.— 
Section 6 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605) is amended by striking 
‘‘Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives’’ and inserting ‘‘Of-
fice of Public Integrity’’. 
(D) PENALTIES.—Section 7 of the Lob-
bying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1606) 
is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Senate 
or the Clerk of the House of Representatives’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Office of Public Integrity’’. 
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(E) RULES
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Section 
8(c) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1607(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House 
of Representatives’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of 
Public Integrity’’. 
(F) ESTIMATES BASED ON TAX REPORTING 
SYSTEM.—Section 15(c)(1) of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1610(c)(1)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Senate 
and the Clerk of the House of Representatives’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Office of Public Integrity’’. 
(2) FILING IN ELECTRONIC FORM.— 
(A) REGISTRATIONS.—Section 4 of the 
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 
1603) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) FILING IN ELECTRONIC FORM.—A registration 
required to be filed under this section shall be filed in elec-
tronic form, in addition to any other form that may be 
required by the Office of Public Integrity.’’. 
(B) REPORTS.—Section 5 of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(d) FILING IN ELECTRONIC FORM.—A report re-
quired to be filed under this section shall be filed in elec-
tronic form, in addition to any other form that may be 
required by the Office of Public Integrity. The Office shall 
make such filings available to the public on the Internet 
in a searchable database.’’. 
SEC. 6. FORMAL ADVISORY OPINIONS AND INTERPRETA-
TIONS. 
The Office shall have the authority to provide formal 
advisory opinions and interpretations of rules and other 
standards of conduct applicable to Members, officers, and 
employees of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of 
the House of Representatives or the Senate Select Com-
mittee on Ethics, by a two-thirds vote of the full com-
mittee may revise or overturn any such formal ruling by 
the Office that is applicable to the Members, officers, and 
employees of that House of Congress. Any such vote shall 
be recorded and made publicly available, and shall be ac-
companied by a written explanation for that action. Dis-
senting members are allowed to issue their own report de-
tailing reasons for disagreeing with the majority vote. 
SEC. 7. PROCEDURAL RULES. 
(a) PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN INVESTIGATIONS.— 
No investigation shall be undertaken by the Office of any 
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alleged violation of a law, rule, regulation, or standard of 
conduct not in effect at the time of the alleged violation; 
nor shall any investigation be undertaken by the Office 
of any alleged violation which occurred before the third 
previous Congress unless the Office determines that the 
alleged violation is directly related to any alleged violation 
which occurred in a more recent Congress. 
(b) DISCLOSURE.—Information or testimony re-
ceived, or the contents of a complaint or the fact of its 
filing, may be publicly disclosed by the Director or by the 
staff of the Office only if authorized by the Director. 
SEC. 8. ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Director 
may appoint and fix the compensation of such staff as the 
Director considers necessary, including deputy directors 
for ethics matters relating to the House of Representatives 
and to the Senate, a general counsel, and such investiga-
tors, auditors, and other staff as he deems necessary. 
(b) APPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—The 
Director and other members of the staff of the Office shall 
be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, 
United States Code, governing appointments in the com-
petitive service, and shall be paid without regard to the 
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
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of such title relating to classification and General Schedule 
pay rates. 
(c) EXPERTS
AND CONSULTANTS.—The Director 
may procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
(d) PHYSICAL FACILITIES.—The Architect of the 
Capitol, in consultation with the appropriate entities in the 
legislative branch, shall locate and provide suitable office 
space for the operation of the Office on a nonreimbursable 
basis. The facilities shall serve as the headquarters of the 
Office and shall include all necessary equipment and 
incidentals required for the proper functioning of the Of-
fice. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT
SERVICES
AND 
OTHER ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon the request of the Di-
rector, the Architect of the Capitol and the Adminis-
trator of General Services shall provide to the Direc-
tor on a nonreimbursable basis such administrative 
support services as the Commission may request. 
(2) ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.—In addition to the 
assistance set forth in paragraph (1), departments 
and agencies of the United States may provide the 
Director such services, funds, facilities, staff, and 
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other support services as the Director may deem ad-
visable and as may be authorized by law. 
(f) USE OF MAILS.—The Office may use the United 
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as Federal agencies and shall, for purposes of the 
frank, be considered a commission of Congress as de-
scribed in section 3215 of title 39, United States Code. 
(g) PRINTING.—For purposes of costs relating to 
printing and binding, including the cost of personnel de-
tailed from the Government Printing Office, the Office 
shall be deemed to be a committee of the Congress. 
SEC. 9. EXPENSES. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act. 
(b) FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.— 
The Director may place orders and enter into agreements 
for goods and services with the head of any agency, or 
major organizational unit within an agency, in the legisla-
tive or executive branch of the Government in the same 
manner and to the same extent as agencies are authorized 
to do so under sections 1535 and 1536 of title 31, United 
States Code. 
(c) WITNESS FEES AND ALLOWANCES.—Witnesses 
before the Office shall be paid the same fee and mileage 
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allowances as are paid subpoenaed witnesses in the courts 
of the United States. 
SEC. 10. REPORTS BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment, 
and at the close of the 110th Congress and at the close 
of each Congress thereafter, the Comptroller General shall 
submit a report to each House of Congress of the level 
of funding necessary for the Office to effectively carry out 
its duties under the Act. 
SEC. 11. TRANSFER OF RECORDS. 
Ninety days after the effective date of this Act, the 
Office of Public Records in the Senate and the Office of 
Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transfer all 
records to the Office with respect to their former duties 
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and the Ethics 
in Government Act of 1978. 
SEC. 12. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by subsection 
(b) and by section 10, this Act shall take effect on Janu-
ary 1, 2008. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—Sections 2, 8, and 9 shall take ef-
fect upon the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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