Public Service Spending Integrity Act
Bill: H.R.231 | Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul (D-CA)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Public Service Spending Integrity Act
This bill restricts federal spending at businesses of the President, specified other officials, or their family members.
Specifically, the bill prohibits federal funds from being obligated or expended for purposes of procuring goods or services at any business owned or controlled by a covered individual or family member of such individual, except for certain authorized security purposes. A covered individual is defined to include the President, the Vice President, the head of any executive department, and any individual occupying a position designated by the President as a cabinet-level position. No federal agency may enter into a contract with a business owned or controlled by a covered individual or family member.
A business shall be deemed to be owned or controlled by a covered individual or family member if any such person (1) is a member of the board of directors or similar governing body of the business, (2) directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 50% of the voting shares of the business, or (3) is the beneficiary of a trust which owns or controls more than 50% of the business and can direct distributions under the terms of the trust.

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 Representatives 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.
            (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 CONTRACTING AT 
              BUSINESSES OWNED BY CERTAIN GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND 
              EMPLOYEES.

    (a) Limitation on Federal Funds.--Beginning in fiscal year 2021 and 
in each fiscal year thereafter, no Federal funds may be obligated or 
expended for purposes of procuring goods or services at any business 
owned or controlled by a covered individual or any family member of 
such an individual, unless such obligation or expenditure of funds is 
authorized under the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976 
(Public Law 94-524).
    (b) Prohibition on Contracts.--No Executive agency may enter into 
or hold 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 if the covered 
individual 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;
            (2) directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 50 
        percent of the voting shares of the business; or
            (3) is the beneficiary of a trust which owns or controls 
        more than 50 percent of the business and can direct 
        distributions under the terms of the trust.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
        means--
                    (A) the President;
                    (B) the Vice President;
                    (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 member'' means an 
        individual with any of the following relationships to a covered 
        individual:
                    (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) Executive agency.--The term ``Executive agency'' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 105 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
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