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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 10, 2014 04:40 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Lisa Baker |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Cash Gift Ban |
| Last year, in the wake of revelations and allegations about the conduct of public officials in Pennsylvania which continued to weaken public confidence in the General Assembly, we took the significant, immediate step of amending the Senate’s Rules of Ethical Conduct (Senate Resolution 339) to prohibit cash gifts to Senators and Senate staff from lobbyists, principals, consultants and others who seek to influence the legislative process. Having the cash gift ban incorporated into the Senate Rules of Ethical Conduct is an important first step, but we should continue pursuing a state law. Please join me in co-sponsoring legislation to ban legislators, other public officials, and public employees from accept cash gifts from lobbyists, principals, consultants, and others who seek to influence the legislative process. “Cash gifts” will be defined to include U. S. and foreign currency, money orders, checks, gift cards and gift certificates, and prepaid debit and credit cards. The ban will not apply to a gift from a parent, spouse, child, or other close relative when the circumstances make it clear that the motivation for the gift is a personal or family relationship. This is a reintroduction of Senate Bill 1327, which was unanimously passed by the Senate in April, 2014, but was not considered by the House State Government Committee. Sponsors of the bill were: BAKER, SMUCKER, PILEGGI, VOGEL, EICHELBERGER, TEPLITZ, FONTANA, STACK, YUDICHAK, GORDNER, SCHWANK, SMITH, HUGHES, ARGALL, VULAKOVICH, RAFFERTY, WHITE, GREENLEAF, COSTA, BREWSTER, BLAKE, FARNESE, VANCE, BROWNE, ALLOWAY, and DINNIMAN |
Introduced as SB265