Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 20, 2017 11:06 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Gift Ban for Public Officers |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce 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. In recent years, concerns have been raised regarding elected officials accepting cash and other gifts. Our constituents have asked that we be accountable for our actions on every legislative matter. My legislation specifically prohibits public officers and candidates from receiving, accepting, taking, seeking, or soliciting any gift having either a fair market value or aggregated actual cost greater than $25. It 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 HB568