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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY SACCONE, MULLERY, ROCK AND TRUITT, FEBRUARY 22, 2012 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 22, 2012 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania |
2 | Consolidated Statutes, in ethics standards and financial |
3 | disclosure, prohibiting certain gifts; providing for |
4 | exceptions; and further providing for statement of financial |
5 | interests. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated |
9 | Statutes is amended by adding sections to read: |
10 | § 1103.1. Gifts. |
11 | No public official or employee shall solicit or accept, |
12 | directly or indirectly, anything of economic value as a gift or |
13 | gratuity from any person who: |
14 | (1) Has or is seeking a contractual, business or |
15 | financial relationship with the public official's or |
16 | employee's governing body, including the acquisition of a |
17 | grant or loan. |
18 | (2) Is compensated to influence the passage or defeat of |
19 | legislation by the public official's or employee's |
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1 | governmental body. |
2 | (3) Conducts operations or activities which are |
3 | regulated by the public official's or employee's governmental |
4 | body. |
5 | (4) Has an economic interest which may be substantially |
6 | affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public |
7 | official's or employee's official job duties. |
8 | § 1103.2. Exceptions. |
9 | The prohibition stated in section 1103.1 (relating to gifts) |
10 | shall not apply to the following: |
11 | (1) Gifts or other things of value from a relative or |
12 | friend, unless the relative or friend is in a restricted |
13 | relationship as delineated in section 1103.1. The term |
14 | "friend" shall not include a registered lobbyist or |
15 | principal. |
16 | (2) A contribution, as defined in section 1621 of the |
17 | act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the |
18 | Pennsylvania Election Code, lawfully made under that act. |
19 | (3) Informational materials that are sent to the office |
20 | of the public official in the form of books, articles, |
21 | periodicals, other written materials, audiotapes, videotapes |
22 | or other forms of communication for nonentertainment |
23 | purposes. |
24 | (4) Awards or prizes that are given to competitors in |
25 | contests or events open to the public, including random |
26 | drawings. |
27 | (5) Honorary degrees and awards and associated travel, |
28 | food, refreshments and entertainment provided in the |
29 | presentation of the degrees and awards. |
30 | (6) Training provided to a public official or public |
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1 | employee, if the training is in the interest of the |
2 | governmental entity. This paragraph shall include food and |
3 | refreshments furnished to all attendees as an integral part |
4 | of the training. |
5 | (7) An educational mission, including a meeting with |
6 | government officials, either foreign or domestic, intended to |
7 | educate public officials on matters of public policy, to |
8 | which the public official may be invited to participate along |
9 | with other Federal, State or local public officials and |
10 | community leaders. |
11 | (8) Anything paid for by the Federal, State or other |
12 | government or governmental entity under a government |
13 | contract. |
14 | (9) A plaque, trophy or other item that is substantially |
15 | commemorative in nature and has minimal value. |
16 | Section 2. Section 1105(b)(6) of Title 65 is amended to |
17 | read: |
18 | § 1105. Statement of financial interests. |
19 | * * * |
20 | (b) Required information.--The statement shall include the |
21 | following information for the prior calendar year with regard to |
22 | the person required to file the statement: |
23 | * * * |
24 | (6) The name and address of the source and the amount of |
25 | any gift or gifts, not otherwise prohibited by this chapter, |
26 | valued in the aggregate at $250 or more and the circumstances |
27 | of each gift. This paragraph shall not apply to a gift or |
28 | gifts received from a spouse, parent, parent by marriage, |
29 | sibling, child, grandchild, other family member or friend |
30 | when the circumstances make it clear that the motivation for |
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1 | the action was a personal or family relationship. However, |
2 | for the purposes of this paragraph, the term "friend" shall |
3 | not include a registered lobbyist or an employee of a |
4 | registered lobbyist. |
5 | * * * |
6 | Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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