[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5186 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5186

To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties 
       for gratuities given to State and local public officials.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2024

 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Welch) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties 
       for gratuities given to State and local public officials.

    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 ``Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON GRATUITIES GIVEN TO STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC 
              OFFICIALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 666 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``(b)'' and inserting ``(c)'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as 
        subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively;
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Gratuities.--Whoever, if the circumstance described in 
subsection (c) of this section exists, otherwise than as provided by 
law for the proper discharge of official duty--
            ``(1) being an agent of an organization, or of a State, 
        local, or Indian tribal government, or any agency thereof, 
        solicits or demands for the benefit of any person, or accepts 
        or agrees to accept, anything of value from any person, 
        intending to be rewarded in connection with any business, 
        transaction, or series of transactions of such organization, 
        government, or agency involving anything of value of $5,000 or 
        more; or
            ``(2) gives, offers, or agrees to give, anything of value 
        to any person, with intent to reward an agent of an 
        organization or of a State, local or Indian tribal government, 
        or any agency thereof, in connection with any business, 
        transaction, or series of transactions of such organization, 
        government, or agency involving anything of value of $5,000 or 
        more;
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 2 years, or 
both.''; and
            (4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``subsection (a)'' and inserting ``subsections (a) and (b)''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Headings.--Section 666 of title 18, United States Code, 
        is amended--
                    (A) in the section heading, by striking ``Theft or 
                bribery'' and inserting ``Theft, bribery, or 
                gratuities'';
                    (B) in subsection (a), by striking ``Whoever'' and 
                inserting ``Bribes.--Whoever'';
                    (C) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``The'' and inserting ``Covered 
                Circumstance.--The'';
                    (D) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``This'' and inserting ``Exception for Salary, 
                Wages, and Fees.--This''; and
                    (E) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``As'' and inserting ``Definitions.--As''.
            (2) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter 
        31 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
        item relating to section 666 and inserting the following:

``666. Theft, bribery, or gratuities concerning programs receiving 
                            Federal funds.''.
                                 <all>