White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-391
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Introduced: 2019-01-09
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Corporate finance and management

Federal officials

Financial services and investments

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Government information and archives

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Latest action: action_date: 2019-06-12
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 16.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill creates transparency requirements for ethics waivers (i.e., waivers from the requirement to sign an ethics pledge) issued to executive branch appointees.</p> <p>Specifically, such ethics waivers must be transmitted to the Office of Government Ethics and made publicly available online.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 391 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2019 Mr. Lynch (for himself and Mr. Cummings ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To provide transparency regarding waivers granted to individuals from the ethics requirements of Executive Order 13770 or any subsequent similar order, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019 . 2. Procedure for waivers and authorizations relating to ethics requirements (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 30 days after an officer or employee issues or approves a waiver or authorization pursuant to section 3 of Executive Order 13770 (82 Fed. Reg. 9333), or any subsequent similar order, such officer or employee shall— (1) transmit a written copy of such waiver or authorization to the Director of the Office of Government Ethics; and (2) make a written copy of such waiver or authorization available to the public on the website of the employing agency of the covered employee. (b) Retroactive application In the case of a waiver or authorization described in subsection (a) issued during the period beginning on January 20, 2017, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act, the issuing officer or employee of such waiver or authorization shall comply with the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of such subsection not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (c) Office of Government Ethics public availability Not later than 14 days after receiving a written copy of a waiver or authorization under subsection (a)(1), the Director of the Office of Government Ethics shall make such waiver or authorization available to the public on the website of the Office of Government Ethics. (d) Definition of covered employee In this section, the term covered employee — (1) means a full-time, non-career Presidential or Vice Presidential appointee, non-career appointee in the Senior Executive Service (or other SES-type system), or an appointee to a position that has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of being of a confidential or policymaking character (Schedule C and other positions excepted under comparable criteria) in an executive agency; and (2) does not include any individual appointed as a member of the Senior Foreign Service or solely as a uniformed service commissioned officer.