[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2967 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2967

     To prohibit the use of Federal funds in support of any travel 
undertaken by the President, Vice President, or certain other executive 
 branch officials which includes the attendance by the official at any 
political campaign or fundraising event unless the sponsor of the event 
  reimburses the Federal government for the actual costs incurred in 
             support of the travel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2007

 Mr. Marshall introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
  Committee on House Administration, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To prohibit the use of Federal funds in support of any travel 
undertaken by the President, Vice President, or certain other executive 
 branch officials which includes the attendance by the official at any 
political campaign or fundraising event unless the sponsor of the event 
  reimburses the Federal government for the actual costs incurred in 
             support of the travel, 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 ``Campaign Taxpayer Reimbursement Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF TRAVEL WHICH 
              INCLUDES POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OR FUNDRAISING EVENTS.

    (a) Prohibition.--No funds of the Federal government may be used to 
carry out or support any travel undertaken by a covered executive 
branch official away from the official's designated post of duty if at 
any time while the official is away from the official's designated post 
of duty the official attends any political campaign event or any 
political fundraising event, unless the office of the official is 
reimbursed for the actual costs incurred by the Federal government in 
carrying out or supporting such travel (subject to subsection (b)) by--
            (1) the principal campaign committee of the candidate, in 
        the case of an event held in support of a candidate; or
            (2) the political committee involved, in the case of an 
        event held in support of a political committee of a political 
        party.
    (b) Special Rules for Presidential and Vice Presidential Travel.--
In the case of travel undertaken by the President or the Vice 
President, the amount of the reimbursement required to be made under 
subsection (a) shall be subject to the following:
            (1) In the case of travel undertaken by the President or 
        the Vice President which includes a political campaign event in 
        support of the President's or Vice President's own campaign--
                    (A) the amount of the reimbursement required to be 
                made for the costs of using an aircraft or other form 
                of transportation may not exceed the commercial charter 
                rate for an airplane or other form of transportation 
                sufficient in size to accommodate the campaign-related 
                travelers, including the President or the Vice 
                President, members of the news media, and the Secret 
                Service (taking into account any reimbursement paid by 
                members of the news media); and
                    (B) any costs attributable to the provision of 
                services by the Secret Service shall be excluded.
            (2) In the case of travel undertaken by the President or 
        the Vice President for a political campaign event or a 
        political fundraising event on behalf of more than one sponsor, 
        candidate, or political party, the amount required to be 
        reimbursed shall be allocated among the sponsors, candidates, 
        or political parties involved in accordance with a formula 
        established under regulations promulgated by the Federal 
        Election Commission which are consistent with the requirements 
        regarding the reimbursement rate described in paragraph (1).
    (c) Exception for Personal Compensation.--Subsection (a) does not 
apply with respect to amounts paid as salary to a covered executive 
branch official.
    (d) Application to Certain Travel by Members of House of 
Representatives.--This section shall apply with respect to funds used 
to carry out or support travel undertaken by a Member of the House of 
Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the 
Congress) in the same manner as it applies to a covered legislative 
branch official, other than funds in any Member's Representational 
Allowance. Nothing in the previous sentence may be construed to waive 
or otherwise affect any provision of law or any rule or regulation of 
the House of Representatives which prohibits the use of official funds 
of the House to support any purposes not related to the official and 
representational duties of a Member of the House.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``covered executive branch official'' means--
                    (A) the President, the Vice President, and any 
                other individual whose official travel expenses may be 
                paid using funds under chapter 2 of title 3, United 
                States Code; and
                    (B) the head of any executive agency (as defined in 
                section 105 of title 5, United States Code).
            (2) The term ``designated post of duty'' has the meaning 
        given such term under chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, except that in the case of a covered executive branch 
        official described in paragraph (1)(A), such term means the 
        White House.
            (3) The term ``political campaign event'' means, with 
        respect to a covered executive branch official, an event held 
        in support of a candidate for election for any Federal, State, 
        or local public office or any national, State, or local 
        political party at which the official endorses or supports (or 
        could reasonably be determined to endorse or support) such a 
        candidate or political party.
            (4) The term ``political committee'' has the meaning given 
        such term in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
        U.S.C. 431 et seq.).
            (5) The term ``political fundraising event'' means any 
        event during which funds are raised to support any candidate 
        for election for any Federal, State, or local public office or 
        any national, State, or local political party, including an 
        event at which a donation of funds to support any such 
        candidate or party is required in order to attend.
            (6) The term ``principal campaign committee'' has the 
        meaning given such term in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
        1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.), except that in the case of a 
        candidate for election for State or local public office, the 
        determination of the principal campaign committee shall be made 
        in accordance with the applicable law of the State involved.

SEC. 3. REQUIRING REIMBURSEMENT BY CAMPAIGNS.

    Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
431 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

    ``requiring reimbursement of certain state and local government 
                             security costs

    ``Sec. 325.  (a) Requiring Reimbursement.--If a State or unit of 
local government incurs costs for providing security and related 
services as the result of the attendance by a covered executive branch 
official at a political campaign event or a political fundraising 
event, the actual costs incurred in providing such services shall be 
reimbursed--
            ``(1) in the case of an event held in support of a 
        candidate, by the principal campaign committee of the 
        candidate; and
            ``(2) in the case of an event held in support of a 
        political committee of a political party, by the committee 
        involved.
    ``(b) Exception for Certain Presidential and Vice Presidential 
Events.--Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to costs which are 
incurred as the result of the attendance of the President or Vice 
President at a political campaign event held in support of the 
President's or Vice President's own campaign.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `covered executive 
branch official', `political campaign event', and `political 
fundraising event' have the meaning given such terms in section 2(e) of 
the Campaign Taxpayer Reimbursement Act of 2007.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to travel undertaken on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>