[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 170 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 170
To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Rules of the
House of Representatives to strengthen financial disclosures and to
require precertification of privately-funded travel, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Mr. King of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee
on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Rules of the
House of Representatives to strengthen financial disclosures and to
require precertification of privately-funded travel, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sunlight Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. PRECERTIFICATION OF TRAVEL BY COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF
OFFICIAL CONDUCT.
Clause 5 of rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended by inserting after paragraph (d) the following new
paragraph:
``(d)(1) Before a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer,
or employee of the House may take a privately-funded trip, that
individual shall--
``(A) provide the estimated cost of the trip, the entity
paying for the trip, the purpose of the trip, the modes of
transportation, accommodations, number of meals on the trip,
and the proposed itinerary to the Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct; and
``(B) agree to provide to the Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct within 5 calendar days after the trip is
completed the expenses reimbursed or to be reimbursed and any
changes from the information provided under subdivision (A).
The information shall be made available on the public website of the
committee in a searchable and sortable manner.
``(2) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or
employee of the House may not take a privately-funded trip unless the
Committee makes a determination that the proposed trip (including the
itinerary and estimated expenses) complies with all applicable rules of
the House, based on the information submitted under subparagraph
(1).''.
SEC. 3. DOLLAR AMOUNTS REQUIRED FOR ANNUAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
STATEMENTS.
(a) Financial Disclosures.--Section 102(d) of the Ethics in
Government Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in the case
of reports of Members of Congress and officers and employees of
Congress filed pursuant to sections 101(d) and (e), references to the
categories for reporting the amount or value of the items covered in
paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (8) of subsection (a) shall be deemed to
be exact dollar amounts.''.
(b) Availability of Reports on the Internet.--Section 103 of the
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(l) A copy of each report filed under this title with the Clerk
of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate shall be
made available as soon as practicable to the general public on the
Internet in a format that is searchable and sortable.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply to reports filed for calendar years beginning after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF DEBATES.
Clause 2 of rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives is
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(l) During general debate on any measure, the Clerk shall project
on a wall of the Hall of the House the subject matter of that debate so
that it is visible to Members and to visitors in the gallery.''.
SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF BILLS, CONFERENCE REPORTS, AND AMENDMENTS ON
THE INTERNET BEFORE VOTING.
Rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by
adding at the end the following new clause:
``7. It shall not be in order to consider any bill or joint
resolution, or conference report thereon, or amendment thereto,
unless--
``(1) in the case of a bill, joint resolution, or
conference report, such measure is made available to Members
and the general public on the Internet for at least 48 hours
before its consideration; or
``(2)(A) in the case of an amendment made in order by a
rule, it is made available to Members and the general public on
the Internet within one hour after the rule is filed; or
``(B) in the case of an amendment under an open rule, it is
made available to Members and the general public on the
Internet immediately after being offered;
in a format that is searchable and sortable.''.
SEC. 6. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC REPORTS.
(a) Mandatory Electronic Filing for All Reports.--
(1) In general.--Section 304(a)(11) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``a person
required to file--'' and all that follows and inserting
the following: ``each person required to file a report
under this Act shall be required to maintain and file
such report in electronic form accessible by
computers.'';
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking
``designations, statements, and reports'' and inserting
``documents''; and
(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``means, with
respect to'' and all that follows and inserting the
following: ``means any report, designation, statement,
or notification required by this Act to be filed with
the Commission or the Secretary of the Senate.''.
(2) Placement of all reports on internet.--Section
304(a)(11)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(B)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``a designation, statement, report,
or notification'' and inserting ``each report''; and
(B) by striking ``the designation, statement,
report, or notification'' and inserting ``the report''.
(3) Searchable and sortable manner of information.--Section
304(a)(11)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(B)) is amended
by inserting ``in a format that is searchable and sortable''
after ``Internet''.
(4) Software for filing of all reports.--Section 304(a)(12)
of such Act (2 U.S.C 434a(a)(12)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``each
person required to file a designation, statement, or
report in electronic form'' and inserting ``each person
required to file a report (as defined in paragraph
(11)(D))''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``any
designation, statement, or report'' and inserting ``any
report (as defined in paragraph (11)(D))''.
(b) Requiring Reports for All Contributions Made to Any Political
Committee Within 30 Days of Election; Requiring Reports To Be Made
Within 24 Hours.--Section 304(a)(6)(A) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
434(a)(6)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
``(A) Each political committee shall notify the Secretary or the
Commission, and the Secretary of State, as appropriate, in writing, of
any contribution received by the committee during the period which
begins on the 30th day before an election and ends at the time the
polls close for such election. This notification shall be made within
24 hours (or, if earlier, by midnight of the day on which the
contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such contribution and
shall include the name of the candidate involved (as appropriate) and
the office sought by the candidate, the identification of the
contributor, and the date of receipt and amount of the contribution.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to reports for periods beginning on or after January
1, 2008.
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