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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/19/2024 06:02 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16392
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 7, 2015 02:49 PM
From: Representative Tina M. Davis
To: All House members
Subject: Gift Ban for Public Officers (Former House Bill 855 of 2013-14)
 
In the near future, I plan to reintroduce legislation amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which will prohibit public officers and candidates for public office from accepting certain gifts, hospitality, transportation, and lodging from lobbyists, lobbying firms, or the principals they represent.

Due, in part, to accusations concerning elected officials accepting cash and other gifts, there has been an outcry for changes to ethics laws in the Commonwealth. Our constituents have asked that we be accountable for our actions on every legislative matter. Accordingly, last session, I introduced legislation, House Bill 855 of 2013-14. This session, I plan to introduce the same proposal, which prohibits public officers or candidates from receiving, accepting, taking, seeking, or soliciting, from any lobbyist, lobbying firm, or the principals they represent, any of the following:

* A gift with either a fair market value or actual cost greater than $50; or
* Hospitality, transportation, or lodging that has a fair market value or actual cost greater than $500.

However, 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.

As elected officials, it is our sole responsibility to represent the needs of our constituents and to serve their best interests. In order to maintain their trust, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, and demonstrate that all public officials will be held accountable for their actions.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Introduced as HB1933