[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2705 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2705

   To provide for the training 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2000

 Mr. Thompson (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Akaka, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
 Durbin, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Voinovich) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for the training 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) 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 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 
        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) Development of a transition directory by the 
        Administrator 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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