Bill · H.R. 2291· House(119-HR-2291)
GARD Act
- Introduced
- 3/24/2025
- Last activity
- 3/24/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Sponsored by
- Byron Donalds
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The GARD Act aims to amend existing laws regarding how federal employees report foreign gifts and decorations. It requires agencies to submit compiled lists of these statements to both the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of State. The bill expands the definition of people required to report to include specific political candidates. It also introduces new reporting requirements for gifts from countries of concern. Additionally, the act changes filing deadlines and mandates that agencies create systems for public access to these gift listings.
Yes
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+6
The act mandates public access to gift listings and increased reporting to government offices.
Does this limit or expose the money behind campaigns?+4
The act increases oversight and transparency for political candidates regarding foreign gifts.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency via Public Access: Agencies must adapt their systems to allow the public to access gift listings, similar to how financial disclosure reports are accessed (Section 2(a)(6)).
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Enhanced Oversight of Political Candidates: The bill expands requirements to include candidates for President, Vice President, and Member of Congress (Section 2(a)(1)(A)).
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Specific Oversight for Congressional Members: The bill directs certain information to the Select Committee on Ethics for Senators and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for House members (Section 2(a)(1)(C)).
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Tracking of Gift Details: New requirements include the estimated fair market value and specific tracking numbers for gifts transferred to the Government Services Administration (Section 2(a)(4)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Penalties for Employees: Employing agencies are required to impose a $200 late fee for any employee who files a statement more than 30 days after the required date (Section 2(a)(5)(A)).
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New Reporting Obligations for Candidates: Candidates for various federal offices are now subject to specific reporting requirements (Section 2(a)(1)(A)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6Improves Campaign Finance Reform+4
- 3/24/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Jared GoldenDemocrat · Maine