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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 11, 2015 01:13 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Rob Teplitz and Sen. John H. Eichelberger, Jr. |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Legislation – Gift Transparency and Limitations for Public Officials Act |
| In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that will provide guidelines for the prohibition of certain gifts to public officials and public employees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The acceptance of gifts by public employees and officials may often be viewed as unethical by the public. Gifts may be perceived as an instrument of persuasion to influence a public official's vote or to promote a contractual, business or financial deal. The perception of gifts as bribes could create a confidence gap in the public and the government, and put into question whether gifts have a negative effect on an official's ability to fairly, unbiasedly, and equally serve the needs of the people. The Government Reform Caucus, in which we are both active participants, has discussed this issue at length in an effort to delineate a transparent and common sense solution to the issue. This legislation, as part of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, prohibits the acceptance of any gifts related to transportation, lodging, hospitality or anything of economic value. Excluded from the list of prohibited items are those items that have a nominal economic value (i.e. a greeting card, a plaque, or a pen). The bill also prohibits the soliciting or acceptance of meals intended for consumption by a specific individual. However, the legislation would allow for light food or refreshments, such as hors d'oeuvres, meant for mass consumption in a group setting. These and other exemptions to deal with various issues that would arise from a complete ban are enumerated in the bill; the caucus has attempted to strike a fair balance between what is meaningful, practical, and passable on this issue. In the previous legislative session, the Government Reform Caucus, as well as the House State Government Committee, approved legislation which would reduce the threshold of the monetary value of reportable gifts. However, following the gift ban executive order issued by Governor Wolf in January, it had been agreed by the caucus members that a broader and more comprehensive approach would be preferable to the previous gift disclosure bill. This legislation is the product of those discussions. A companion bill HB 43 (Saccone), which is also supported by the Government Reform Caucus, has been introduced in the House. Please join us and the other members of the Government Reform Caucus in co-sponsoring this legislation to help reaffirm the public's trust and confidence in our government. |
Introduced as SB885