[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3191 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3191
To prevent corruption by appropriately limiting donations for any
public property, building, or fixture at the White House, the Naval
Observatory, or certain other public property, for events on such
property, or for monuments to living current or former Presidents,
current or former Vice Presidents, or current or former employees or
officers appointed by the President.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 18, 2025
Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Schiff,
and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following bill; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prevent corruption by appropriately limiting donations for any
public property, building, or fixture at the White House, the Naval
Observatory, or certain other public property, for events on such
property, or for monuments to living current or former Presidents,
current or former Vice Presidents, or current or former employees or
officers appointed by the President.
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 Ballroom Bribery Act''.
SEC. 2. DONATION RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC PROPERTY LINKED TO
PRESIDENT OR VICE PRESIDENT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means--
(A) the maintenance, acquisition, enhancement,
improvement, alteration, demolition, or construction of
any public property (including real property),
building, or fixture located on or immediately adjacent
to the grounds of the White House, the grounds of
Number One Observatory Circle, or other public property
intended for or dedicated to the use of the sitting
President, the sitting Vice President, or a spouse or
child of the sitting President or the sitting Vice
President;
(B) the maintenance, acquisition, enhancement,
improvement, alteration, demolition, or construction of
a Federal monument or other structure on public
property that names or honors a living current or
former President, Vice President, or employee or
officer appointed by the President; or
(C) an event hosted on the grounds of the White
House, the grounds of Number One Observatory Circle, or
on any other public property intended for or dedicated
to the use of the sitting President, the sitting Vice
President, or a spouse or child of the sitting
President or the sitting Vice President.
(2) Donation.--The term ``donation'' means a gift,
donation, bequest, or devise of anything of value, including
services, whether made directly to the Federal Government or
indirectly via another entity or person.
(3) Foreign government.--The term ``foreign government''
has the meaning given that term in section 7342 of title 5,
United States Code.
(4) Lobbying activities.--The term ``lobbying activities''
has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602).
(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means an organization that is described in
paragraph (3) or (4) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such
Code.
(b) Restrictions on Accepting Donations.--
(1) NPS and oge approval before acceptance or use of a
donation for a covered project.--A donation for a covered
project may be accepted or used by the Federal Government
only--
(A) in accordance with an authority to accept gifts
or reimbursements under existing law; and
(B) if the individual who is serving in the
position of Director of the National Park Service, and
who has been appointed to such position by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate--
(i) makes a written determination, with the
concurrence of the individual who is serving in
the position of Director of the Office of
Government Ethics, and who has been appointed
to such position by the President, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, that the
donation complies with the restrictions under
paragraph (2);
(ii) submits to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate
and the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives the
determination described in clause (i); and
(iii) publishes the determination described
in clause (i) in the Federal Register.
(2) Restrictions; requirements for donors.--
(A) Prohibited donations.--A donation for a covered
project may not be accepted or used by an officer or
employee of the United States, including the President
and Vice President, or a non-Governmental agent
operating on behalf of such an officer or employee, if
the ultimate source of the donation, in part or in
whole, is a person who--
(i) at the time the donation is made is, or
at any time on or after the date on which the
sitting President assumed the office of
President was, involved in litigation with the
Federal Government;
(ii) at the time the donation is made is,
or at any time on or after the date on which
the sitting President assumed the office of
President was, the subject or target of an
administrative investigation or other
enforcement action by the Federal Government;
(iii) at the time the donation is made is
seeking or has in effect a contract or other
business relationship with the Federal
Government;
(iv) at the time the donation is made is
seeking a grant from the Federal Government or
has received such grant for which the funds
have not been fully expended, revoked, or
depleted;
(v) at the time the donation is made is, or
at any time on or after the date on which the
sitting President assumed the office of
President was, involved in lobbying activities
targeting any part of the executive branch;
(vi) at the time the donation is made is
seeking or requesting, or at any time on or
after the date on which the sitting President
assumed the office of President sought,
requested, or received, a pardon from the
President; or
(vii) at the time the donation is made is
seeking, or at any time on or after the date on
which the sitting President assumed the office
of President sought, to be appointed to a
position in the Federal Government by the
President.
(B) Integrity of donation.--A donation for a
covered project may not be accepted or used if the
donation--
(i) includes as an actual or implied
condition of receipt of the donation any
benefit derived from the Federal Government;
(ii) has been coerced through the use of
the authority or position of any officer or
employee of the United States, including the
President or the Vice President; or
(iii) would influence or appear to
influence the performance of the
responsibilities by any officer or employee of
the executive branch of the Federal Government,
including the President or Vice President, or
would otherwise compromise the integrity or
appearance of integrity of any part of the
executive branch of the Federal Government.
(C) Prohibited solicitation.--An officer or
employee of the Executive Office of the President,
including the President and Vice President, or the
spouse or child of the President or Vice President, may
not solicit a donation for a covered project.
(D) Approval of foreign gifts and emoluments.--A
donation for a covered project made by a foreign
government may not be accepted unless Congress has
approved the accepting of the donation.
(c) Post-Donation Restrictions.--
(1) Donor recognition limitations.--A donor name, donor
logo, or other indication of the identity of a donor may not be
displayed at any location described in subsection (a)(1) as
recognition of the donation.
(2) Cooling-off period.--A person making a donation for a
covered project may not engage in any lobbying activities
directed at any officer or employee of the United States in a
position in the executive branch, including the President or
the Vice President, during the 2-year period beginning on the
date of the donation.
(3) Conversion of donation to personal use.--No person may
convert a donation to a covered project to the private use of
the person, or to the personal use of any other person.
(4) Disposition of leftover donations.--In addition to any
other restriction on the disposition of unused funds by a
nonprofit organization or other entity or person, the remaining
balances of a donation for a covered project may not be
expended for anything that directly and predictably benefits
the President, the Vice President, a spouse or child of the
President or the Vice President, an employee of the Executive
Office of the President, or any officer appointed by the
President.
(d) Transparency To Ensure Donations Are Disclosed and Prohibit
Straw Donations.--
(1) Disclosing donor meetings.--
(A) In general.--In accordance with subparagraph
(B), a person making a donation to or for the benefit
of a covered project, directly or indirectly through
another person, shall disclose to the Director of the
National Park Service any meeting or other
communication with the President, the Vice President, a
spouse or child of the President or the Vice President,
any other officer or employee of the United States, or
any agent working on any of their behalf that occurs
during the period beginning on the date that is 1 year
before the date of the donation and ending on the date
that is 1 year after the date of the donation, and the
disclosure shall, for each such meeting, include the
topics discussed and the date of the meeting.
(B) Timing of disclosure.--A person required to
disclose a meeting or other communication under
subparagraph (A) shall--
(i) with respect to a meeting or other
communication occurring before the date of the
applicable donation, make the disclosure
required under subparagraph (A) not later than
7 days after the date of the donation; or
(ii) with respect to a meeting or other
communication occurring on or after the date of
the applicable donation, make the disclosure
required under subparagraph (A) not later than
7 days after the meeting or other
communication.
(2) Quarterly publication.--The Director of the National
Park Service, in coordination with the heads of any other
relevant agencies and entities, shall publish a quarterly
report in the Federal Register listing each donation
contributed to or for the benefit of a covered project, which
shall include, for each donation--
(A) a brief description of the donation and the
circumstances justifying acceptance;
(B) the date of acceptance;
(C) the identity of each person who--
(i) contributed to the donation; and
(ii) contributed an aggregate amount of
more than $200 as a part of donations made
during the applicable calendar quarter; and
(D) information regarding any meeting or other
communication described in paragraph (1).
(3) Prohibition on straw donations.--With respect to any
donation to a covered project, whether made directly or
indirectly, it shall be unlawful for a person to knowingly--
(A) make the donation in the name of another
person;
(B) permit the name of that person to be used to
effect the donation by another person;
(C) accept such a donation that is made by one
person in the name of another person; or
(D) direct, help, or assist any person in making
such a donation in the name of another person.
(4) Prohibition on anonymous donations.--No donation for a
covered project may be accepted if it is made on the condition
that it be anonymous.
(5) Attestation by certain donors.--A donor employed by or
closely affiliated with a person barred from making a donation
under subsection (b)(2)(A) shall attest that the donor is not
explicitly or implicitly making the donation on behalf of the
person.
(e) Enforcement.--
(1) OGE regulations and disgorgement.--Not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of
the Office of Government Ethics shall publish regulations
implementing the procedures under this section, which shall
permit the Director to direct the return of any donation that
violates any provision of this section at any point in time.
(2) Judicial review of oge determinations.--Any
determination by the Director of the Office of Government
Ethics under this section shall be subject to judicial review
and the attorney general of a State or the Attorney General may
bring an action in accordance with this subsection seeking
judicial review of such a determination.
(3) Enforcement by state attorneys general.--The attorney
general of a State may bring a civil action to redress a
violation of this section in the United States District Court
for the District of Columbia or in any district court of the
United States with jurisdiction over any part of the United
States served by that attorney general.
(4) Enforcement by the united states.--The Attorney General
of the United States may bring a civil action or criminal
prosecution to redress a violation of this section in the
United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
(5) Civil and criminal penalties.--
(A) Civil.--
(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii),
any person who violates this section shall be
subject to--
(I) a civil penalty that does not
exceed the greater of $20,000 or an
amount equal to the aggregate value of
the donations involved in such
violation; and
(II) an order requiring the person
to disgorge any benefit derived from
any donation involved in the violation.
(ii) Larger violations.--If the aggregate
value of all donations involved in a violation
of this section by a person during a calendar
year exceeds $50,000, the person shall be
subject to--
(I) a civil penalty that does not
exceed the greater of $100,000 or the
amount equal to the aggregate value of
the donations involved in such
violation; and
(II) an order requiring the person
to disgorge any benefit derived from
any donation involved in the violation.
(B) Criminal.--
(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii),
any person who knowingly and willfully violates
this section shall be--
(I) fined under title 18, United
States Code, imprisoned for not more
than 1 year, or both; and
(II) subject to an order requiring
the person to disgorge any benefit
derived from any donation involved in
the violation.
(ii) Larger violations.--If the aggregate
value of all donations involved in a violation
of this section by a person during a calendar
year exceeds $50,000, the person shall be--
(I) fined under title 18, United
States Code, imprisoned for not more
than 5 years, or both; and
(II) subject to an order requiring
the person to disgorge any benefit
derived from any donation involved in
the violation.
(6) Other relief.--In addition to the civil and criminal
penalties described in paragraph (5), in an action brought
under this subsection a court may grant a permanent or
temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order, upon a
showing that the person involved has likely committed a
violation of this section.
(7) Period of limitations.--
(A) Civil.--A civil action under this subsection
may not be commenced later than 10 years after the
cause of action accrues.
(B) Criminal.--No person shall be prosecuted,
tried, or punished for any offense under this
subsection, unless the indictment is found or the
information is instituted within 10 years after such
offense shall have been committed.
(8) Rule of construction.--The imposition of a civil or
criminal penalty under this subsection does not preclude any
other criminal or civil statutory, common law, or
administrative remedy, which is available by law to the United
States or any other person.
(f) Severability.--If any provision of this section, or the
application of a provision of this section to any person or
circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this
section, and the application of the provision to any other person or
circumstance, shall not be affected thereby.
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