[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 839 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 839

To prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees 
 or their families through Federal funds or contracting, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 2, 2017

   Mr. Ruiz 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 prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees 
 or their families through Federal funds or contracting, 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; 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.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND CONTRACTING AT 
              BUSINESSES OWNED BY CERTAIN GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND 
              EMPLOYEES.

    (a) Limitation on Federal Funds.--
            (1) President; vice president; cabinet.--Beginning in 
        fiscal year 2017 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.
            (2) Members of congress.--Beginning in fiscal year 2017 and 
        in each fiscal year thereafter, no funds from a Members' 
        Representational Allowance of a Member of the House of 
        Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner 
        to the Congress) or a Senators' Official Personnel and Office 
        Expense Account may be obligated or expended for purposes of 
        procuring goods or services at any business owned or controlled 
        by the Member of Congress or any family member of such a 
        Member.
    (b) Prohibition on Contracts.--No federal agency may enter into 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, or a Member of 
Congress or a family member of such a Member, if the covered individual 
or member of family or the Member of Congress 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; or
            (2) directly or indirectly owns or controls 51 percent or 
        more of the voting shares of the business.
    (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 or a Member of Congress:
                    (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) Federal agency.--The term ``federal agency'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 102 of title 40, United 
        States Code.
            (4) Member of congress.--The term ``Member of Congress'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 2106 of title 5, 
        United States Code, but does not include the Vice President.
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