Presidential Appointments Improvement Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-765
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2003-04-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Advice and consent of the Senate
Bank accounts
Bonds
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Consultants
Corporation directors
Credit cards
Crime and Law Enforcement
Earnings
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Families
Federal employees
Federal officials
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Freedom of information
Futures trading
Gifts
Government ethics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government securities
Government travel
Governmental investigations
Honoraria
Housing and Community Development
Internet
Investments
Labor and Employment
Labor unions
Law
Legislation
Married people
Nonprofit organizations
Office of Government Ethics
Partnerships
Politicians
Presidential appointments
Presidential transitions
Real estate appraisal
Real property
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Stocks
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Trusts and trustees
Vice Presidents

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-02
text: Presidential Appointments Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to set forth separate, revised financial disclosure reporting requirements for executive branch personnel that eliminate, raise the thresholds for, or reduce the categories of value under specified current requirements.
Requires a person to file a financial disclosure report within 30 days of taking the oath of office of President or Vice President, unless the person is the incumbent in such position.
Requires disclosure of the source, description, and category of income from any source aggregating more than $500 in a year. Revises, for disclosure purposes, the categories of value for reporting income investment, assets, and liabilities and the thresholds for reporting interests in property or in a trade or business. Raises from: (1) $10,000 to $20,000 the threshold for the reporting of liabilities; and (2) $5,000 to $25,000 the threshold for the reporting by non-elected individuals of compensation received for personal services. Requires reports to include the sources of income earned by the spouse which exceeds $500 (currently $1,000).
Requires the the Office of Personnel Management, within 15 days after a major party nominates its candidate for President, to transmit to that candidate an electronic record on presidentially appointed positions.
Requires each Federal agency to submit to the President and specified congressional committees a plan providing for the reduction of the number of positions and the levels of positions within that agency that require an appointment by the President.
Requires the Director of the Office of Government Ethics to review the conflict of interest laws relating to Federal employment and to report recommendations for legislation to improve coordination, uniformity, and efficiency in their administration.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2003-04-02
text: Introduced in Senate