HR6085-119

What This Bill Does

The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act regulates donations for covered projects linked to the President, Vice President, their families, and certain federal public property. Covered projects include maintenance, acquisition, enhancement, improvement, alteration, demolition, or construction of public property on or immediately adjacent to the White House or Number One Observatory Circle, other property intended for the sitting President, Vice President, spouse, or child, federal monuments or structures honoring living current or former Presidents, Vice Presidents, or presidential appointees, and events on covered property. The Federal Government may accept a donation only under existing gift authority and only if the Senate-confirmed NPS Director, with concurrence from the Senate-confirmed OGE Director, determines in writing that the donation complies with restrictions, submits the determination to Senate HSGAC and House Oversight, and publishes it in the Federal Register. Donations may not be accepted if the source is involved in federal litigation, investigations, enforcement, federal contracts, federal grants, executive-branch lobbying, pardon requests, foreign-government status, or other restricted categories. Donors must disclose meetings or communications with covered officials around the donation period. NPS must publish quarterly Federal Register reports listing donations, donors over $200, circumstances, and communications. The bill bans straw donations and anonymous donations. State attorneys general and DOJ can enforce it, with civil penalties up to the greater of $20,000 or the donation value, higher civil penalties for annual violations above $50,000, criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations, disgorgement, and injunctive relief.

Who Benefits and How

Ethics watchdogs benefit from written NPS and OGE determinations, Federal Register publication, quarterly donation reports, and meeting disclosures. The public benefits from stricter controls on donations that could influence presidential or vice-presidential public-property projects and events. Congressional oversight committees benefit from required submission of donation-compliance determinations. State attorneys general and DOJ benefit from explicit enforcement authority for violations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Potential donors with federal litigation, enforcement actions, contracts, grants, lobbying, pardon requests, foreign-government status, or restricted nonprofit status may be barred from giving. NPS and OGE leadership must review donations, make written determinations, publish notices, and maintain quarterly reporting. Federal officers, employees, and agents involved in covered projects must reject anonymous, straw, or restricted donations. Violators face civil penalties, disgorgement, injunctions, and possible criminal fines or imprisonment for knowing and willful violations.

Key Provisions

• Defines covered presidential and vice-presidential public-property projects, monuments, structures, and events.
• Requires NPS and OGE written determinations before covered donations may be accepted or used.
• Bars donations from sources with specified federal litigation, enforcement, contract, grant, lobbying, pardon, foreign-government, or nonprofit conflicts.
• Requires meeting disclosures and quarterly Federal Register donation reports.
• Prohibits straw donations and anonymous donations for covered projects.
• Authorizes State attorney general and DOJ enforcement with civil penalties, criminal penalties, disgorgement, and injunctive relief.