Title: SWAMP FLYERS Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Stop Waste And Misuse by Presidential Flyers Landing Yet Evading Rules and Standards Act or the SWAMP FLYERS Act
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for the official travel of a senior political appointee on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight, unless: (1) a commercial flight was unavailable for the travel in question, or (2) the aircraft is owned or leased by the government.
An appointee who travels on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight must provide a statement to Congress certifying that no commercial flight was available. The bill makes it a crime for an appointee to knowingly and willfully make such a statement that is false, fictitious, or fraudulent.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3876 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3876

  To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the official travel of any 
senior political appointee on private aircraft, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2017

 Mr. Ted Lieu of California (for himself, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Raskin, and 
 Ms. Jayapal) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the official travel of any 
senior political appointee on private aircraft, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Waste And Misuse by 
Presidential Flyers Landing Yet Evading Rules and Standards Act'' or 
the ``SWAMP FLYERS Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR TRAVEL ON PRIVATE AIRCRAFT.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, no 
Federal funds appropriated or otherwise made available in any fiscal 
year may be used to pay the travel expenses of any senior political 
appointee for travel on official business on a non-commercial, private, 
or chartered flight.
    (b) Exceptions.--The limitation in subsection (a) shall not apply--
            (1) if no commercial flight was available for the travel in 
        question, consistent with subsection (c); or
            (2) to any travel on aircraft owned or leased by the 
        Government.
    (c) Certification.--
            (1) In general.--Any senior political appointee who travels 
        on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight under the 
        exception provided in subsection (b)(1) shall, not later than 
        30 days after the date of such travel, submit a written 
        statement to Congress certifying that no commercial flight was 
        available.
            (2) Penalty.--Any statement submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall be considered a statement for purposes of applying 
        section 1001 of title 18, United States Code.
    (d) Definition of Senior Political Appointee.--In this Act, the 
term ``senior political appointee'' means any individual occupying--
            (1) a position listed under the Executive Schedule 
        (subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code);
            (2) a Senior Executive Service position that is not a 
        career appointee as defined under section 3132(a)(4) of such 
        title; or
            (3) a position of a confidential or policy-determining 
        character under schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, 
        Code of Federal Regulations.
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