Public Service Spending Integrity Act

Bill: 117-hr-231
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2021-01-06
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Corporate finance and management

Family relationships

Federal officials

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Members of Congress

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Public contracts and procurement
Latest action: action_date: 2021-01-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-01-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Public Service Spending Integrity Act</strong></p> <p>This bill restricts federal spending at businesses of the President, specified other officials, or their family members.</p> <p>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<i> covered individual</i> 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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 231 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 6, 2021 Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees or their families through Federal funds or contracting, and for other purposes.

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. 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.