Accountability and Transparency in Ethics Act

Bill: 110-hr-97
Sponsor: Rep. Castle, Michael N. [R-DE-At Large]
Introduced: 2007-01-04 in the House
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Administrative fees
Bribery
Campaign funds
Charter airlines
Conflict of interests
Congressional Record
Congressional agencies
Congressional committee membership
Congressional committees (House)
Congressional elections
Congressional employees
Congressional ethics
Congressional investigations
Congressional officers
Congressional publicity
Congressional reorganization
Congressional reporting requirements
Congressional travel
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Election candidates
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Employee training
Evidence (Law)
Ex-Members of Congress
Families
Financial disclosure
Fines (Penalties)
Gifts
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
House Standards of Official Conduct
House of Representatives
House rules and procedure
Judges
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Lobbying
Married people
Members of Congress
Misconduct in office
Political action committees
Political conventions
Presidential elections
Private aviation
Public corruption
Science, Technology, Communications
Senate rules and procedure
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: 
Accountability and Transparency in Ethics Act - Establishes an independent Investigations Commission within the legislative branch. 
 
Requires annual ethics training for Members and employees of the House of Representatives and for registered lobbyists.
 
Amends Rule XXV (Limitations on Outside Earned Income and Acceptance of Gifts) of the Rules of the House to require advance authorization by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of any privately-funded trip by any Member, officer, or employee of the House.
 
Amends such Rule and Rule XXXV (Gifts) of the Standing Rules of the Senate with respect to: (1) the market value of a flight on an airplane not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire; (2) a ban on gifts worth less than $50; and (3) disbursements for a national party convention event in honor of a Member, officer, or employee.
 
Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to: (1) transfer certain functions of the Clerk of the House to the Committee with respect to registration of lobbyists; (2) revise certain registration and disclosure requirements; and (3) prescribe civil fines for lobbyists offering certain gifts to Members, officers, or employees.
 

 

 

 

 
Amends the federal criminal code to revise the one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former Members, officers, or employees of either chamber of Congress.
 
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit conversion of leadership PAC funds to personal use.
 

 
Prohibits payment of campaign funds, except nominal reimbursements, to immediate family members of candidates.
 
Prohibits involvement of a registered lobbyist in administration of certain campaign committees unless a candidate for federal office.
 
Amends Rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) of the Rules of the House and Rule XXXVII (Conflict of Interest) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require a Member of Congress or Senator to prohibit all of his or her staff from having any official contact with the Member's or Senator's spouse or immediate family member if such individual is a registered lobbyist or is employed or retained by one to influence legislation.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the use of a family relationship by a lobbyist who is an immediate family member of a Member of Congress to gain special advantages over other lobbyists is inappropriate.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-02-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2007-02-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Introduced in House