Presidential Accountability Act
Latest action · Dec 5, 2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedNov 17, 2016
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Presidential Accountability Act
This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for the President or Vice President to personally and substantially participate in official matters that affect their financial interests, unless the financial interests are held in a blind trust or the President or Vice President discloses the financial interests and receives an exemption.
It imposes criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both—on a President or Vice President who commits the offense. It also authorizes civil penalties and injunctions.
Additionally, a violation constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor (i.e., grounds for impeachment) under Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.
Finally, the bill prohibits the President or Vice President from entering into contracts with the U.S. government.
Cosponsors 82
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 29, 2016 to Dec 16, 2016.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-FL | Alan Grayson | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Brendan F. Boyle | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-VA | Donald S. Beyer, Jr. | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-MD | Donna F. Edwards | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Grace Meng | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Gregory W. Meeks | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-WI | Gwen Moore | Nov 29, 2016 | |
| D-GA | Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. | Nov 29, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Nov 17, 2016 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Dec 5, 2016 | |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Dec 5, 2016 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 5, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Dec 5, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Nov 17, 2016Introduced in House
- Nov 17, 2016Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 162, no. 165, November 17, 2016, page H6301.
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To extend conflict of interest provisions to the President and Vice President of the United States.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Presidential Accountability Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 17, 2016Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
