96th Congress > House > Vote 157
Sponsor: ECKHARDT, Robert Christian (D-TX)
Description: TO AGREE TO A SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT TO THE KINDNESS AMENDMENT TO S. 869, A BILL AMENDING THE ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT. THE KINDNESS AMENDMENT LIMITED POSTEMPLOYMENT RESTRICTION TO HIGH LEVEL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND MILITARY OFFICERS. THE ECKHARDT SUBSTITUTE APPLIED THE PERSONAL PRESENCE REQUIREMENT RELATING TO THE TWO-YEAR "AIDES OR ASSISTS" PROHIBITION ONLY TO MATTERS INVOLVING TECHNICAL, MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC, OR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND REDEFINED THE CATEGORIES OF OFFICIALS COVERED. (MOTION FAILED)
Bill summary: (Senate agreed to House amendment)
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to provide that: (1) the restriction prohibiting former Federal or District of Columbia employees, for a two-year period after their last day of employment, from representing a person (except the United States) on a matter before the Government, applies only to those matters which were actually pending under such employee's official responsibility; and (2) the restriction prohibiting certain former highly-ranked
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employees and commissioned officers for such two-year period from assisting in the representation of a person appearing before the Government, applies only to such assistance entailing the employee's personal presence at such appearance on those matters in which the employee participated personally and substantially.
Amends such Act to stipulate that the restrictions prohibiting former high level Government employees from: (1) assisting in representing a person other that the United States on a matter before the Government for a period of two years after leaving Government service, or (2) acting as an agent or attorney for such a person within one year after leaving Government service in connection with their former department or agency, shall cover automatically only former employees compensated at rates equal to rates under the Executive Schedule and former military officers at grade 0-9 and above. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Government Ethics to designate for coverage certain positions which involve significant decision-making or supervisory responsibility. Limits designation to those positions which are: (1) GS-17 or greater; (2) established within the Senior Executive Service; or (3) grades 0-7 or 0-8 in the uniformed services.
Authorizes the Director to limit such prohibition against a former employee acting as an attorney or agent for another person before the employee's former department to permit such former employee to appear before or communicate with a bureau within such department which was separate from such employee's former bureau if the Direction determines such employee has no undue influence based on past Government service. Exempts from such prohibition elected officials and former employees of state and local governments and former employees of institutions of higher education and medical facilities acting on behalf of their former employer.
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Bill titles: A bill to amend section 207 of title 18, United States Code.
Original source documents: Digest of the Congressional Record vol. 67, p. 3695;
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
