BASIC Act

Increased Accountability for Special Government Employees: By prohibiting these employees from demanding or receiving covered Federal awards that exceed $1,000,000 annually, the bill aims to prevent self-interested contracting (Section 2(a)).

Prevention of Indirect Conflicts of Interest: The bill prevents employees from receiving awards indirectly through parents, siblings, spouses, children, or other household members (Section 2(b)(1)).

Restriction on Organization-Based Conflicts: It prevents awards from being given to organizations where the employee serves as an officer, director, or trustee, or where they are negotiating for employment (Section 2(b)(2)).

Increased Transparency through Public Access: The Act requires that financial disclosure reports for certain special Government employees be made publicly available (Section 3(b)).

Public Tracking of Government Employees: A new electronic database will be created to provide the public with names, the number of days served, and the reason for the individual's designation as a special Government employee (Section 4).

Potential Penalties for Employees: Special Government employees who violate these provisions regarding covered Federal awards will be subject to penalties set forth in section 216 of title 18 (Section 2(a)).

Increased Regulatory Burden on Agencies: Executive branch agencies will be required to revise their regulations to ensure they do not award funds in violation of this Act (Section 2(b)).

Administrative Requirements for the Director: The Director must coordinate with the Office of Government Ethics to maintain and update a searchable electronic database (Section 4).