[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4931 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4931

  To provide for the training or orientation of individuals, during a 
   Presidential transition, who the President intends to appoint to 
 certain key positions, to provide for a study and report on improving 
the financial disclosure process for certain Presidential nominees, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2000

 Mr. Horn (for himself and Mr. Turner) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the training or orientation of individuals, during a 
   Presidential transition, who the President intends to appoint to 
 certain key positions, to provide for a study and report on improving 
the financial disclosure process for certain Presidential nominees, 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 ``Presidential Transition Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT OF 1963.

    Section 3(a) of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (3 U.S.C. 
102 note) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 
        ``including--'' and inserting ``including the following:'';
            (2) in each of paragraphs (1) through (6) by striking the 
        semicolon at the end and inserting a period; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8)(A)(i) Not withstanding subsection (b), payment of 
        expenses during the transition for briefings, workshops, or 
        other activities to acquaint key prospective Presidential 
        appointees with the types of problems and challenges that most 
        typically confront new political appointees when they make the 
        transition from campaign and other prior activities to assuming 
        the responsibility for governance after inauguration.
            ``(ii) Activities under this paragraph may include 
        interchange between such appointees and individuals who--
                    ``(I) held similar leadership roles in prior 
                administrations;
                    ``(II) are department or agency experts from the 
                Office of Management and Budget or an Office of 
                Inspector General of a department or agency; or
                    ``(III) are relevant staff from the General 
                Accounting Office.
            ``(iii) Activities under this paragraph may include 
        training or orientation in records management to comply with 
        section 2203 of title 44, United States Code, including 
        training on the separation of Presidential records and personal 
        records to comply with subsection (b) of that section.
            ``(iv) Activities under this paragraph may include training 
        or orientation in human resources management and performance-
        based management.
            ``(B) Activities under this paragraph shall be conducted 
        primarily for individuals the President-elect intends to 
        nominate as department heads or appoint to key positions in the 
        Executive Office of the President.
            ``(9)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (b), development of a 
        transition directory by the Administrator of General Services 
        Administration, in consultation with the Archivist of the 
        United States (head of the National Archives and Records 
        Administration) for activities conducted under paragraph (8).
            ``(B) The transition directory shall be a compilation of 
        Federal publications and materials with supplementary materials 
        developed by the Administrator that provides information on the 
        officers, organization, and statutory and administrative 
        authorities, functions, duties, responsibilities, and mission 
        of each department and agency.
            ``(10)(A) Notwithstanding subsection (b), consultation by 
        the Administrator with any candidate for President or Vice 
        President to develop a systems architecture plan for the 
        computer and communications systems of the candidate to 
        coordinate a transition to Federal systems, if the candidate is 
        elected.
            ``(B) Consultations under this paragraph shall be conducted 
        at the discretion of the Administrator.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON IMPROVING THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PROCESS FOR 
              PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Office of Government Ethics shall conduct a 
study and submit a report on improvements to the financial disclosure 
process for Presidential nominees required to file reports under 
section 101(b) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
to the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives.
    (b) Content of Report.--
            (1) In general.--The report under this section shall 
        include recommendations and legislative proposals on--
                    (A) streamlining, standardizing, and coordinating 
                the financial disclosure process and the requirements 
                of financial disclosure reports under the Ethics in 
                Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) for Presidential 
                nominees;
                    (B) avoiding duplication of effort and reducing the 
                burden of filing with respect to financial disclosure 
                of information to the White House Office, the Office of 
                Government Ethics, and the Senate; and
                    (C) any other relevant matter the Office of 
                Government Ethics determines appropriate.
            (2) Limitation relating to conflicts of interest.--The 
        recommendations and proposals under this subsection shall not 
        (if implemented) have the effect of lessening substantive 
        compliance with any conflict of interest requirement.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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