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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2013 04:24 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Gift Ban for Public Officers - Previously HB 1129 |
| MEMORANDUM TO: Members of the House of Representatives FROM: Representative Tina Davis DATE: January 14, 2013 SUBJECT: Co-Sponsorship Request – Gift Ban for Public Officers Previously HB 1129 In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that will amend Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to prohibit public officers and candidates from accepting certain gifts, hospitality, transportation, and lodging from lobbyists, lobbying firms, or principals of lobbyists. Public officers are elected by the residents of this Commonwealth to support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and Pennsylvania. In order to gain the trust of the voters, these candidates must not only be knowledgeable but also be exemplary and honorable individuals. Certain actions, such as the acceptance of high valued gifts, can be perceived as unethical and dishonorable, and I believe that all public officials should be prohibited from accepting such contributions and gifts. My legislation amends Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated statutes by inserting Section §1103.1, which prohibits public officers or candidates from receiving, accepting, taking, seeking, or soliciting any gift with either a fair market value or actual cost greater than $50 from any lobbyist, lobbying firm, or principal of a lobbyist. The legislation further prohibits such individuals from engaging in such exchanges for hospitality, transportation, or lodging that has a fair market value or actual cost greater than $500 from lobbyists, lobbying firms, or principals of a lobbyist. That being said, the legislation also provides exemptions, which includes gifts from relatives or friends, informational material, awards, prizes, honorary degrees, training, educational missions, bequests, inheritances, plaques, trophies, or donations for promotional purposes. Previous cosponsors: DeLUCA, CARROLL, GERBER, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, SANTARSIERO, SWANGER, TRUITT AND VULAKOVICH. |
Introduced as HB855