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R. Public Service Awards
You may accept a bona fide, non-monetary public service award, as well as any food, refreshments, and entertainment that are also provided in connection with the public service award.[122]
[122] Id.
The Committee considers the following criteria to determine if an award is a bona fide public service award.[123] This list is not exhaustive.
[123] Whether a public service award is a bona fide public service award is particularly important when the award is an item with significant monetary value, such as a crystal sculpture. If an award does not meet the criteria for a bona fide public service award, the Committee may consider whether the item being awarded meets the requirements for a commemorative item or may consider the gift under a general waiver.
- The nature of the organization providing the award;
- Whether the award is part of an established program and has been awarded on a regular basis;
- Whether the award has been presented to non-congressional awardees in the past; and
- Whether there are specific, written criteria for the selection of the awardees.
If you were offered a public service award with a monetary component, you must write to the Committee for formal approval to accept the monetary award. The Committee will closely examine whether the award is a bona fide public service award when deciding whether to grant you a waiver of the Gift Rule. See General Waiver for information about the Committee’s waiver authority.
Example (Permissible). Before coming to the House, you were actively involved with foster children. You continued that work since joining the House. A foundation that supports foster children would like to honor your service and present you with an award. The foundation has presented this award every year for the last 20 years to someone who tirelessly works to improve the lives of foster children. The foundation has established criteria to determine whether a recipient “tirelessly works to improve the lives of foster children.” A Member and a Senator received the award in previous years, but generally the award is given to someone not affiliated with Congress. The award itself is a crystal desk clock. You may accept the bona fide public service award and any meals or entertainment provided when you are presented with the award.
Example (Additional Action Required). You were active duty military prior to joining the House and continue to serve in the Reserves. You work for the Veterans Affairs Committee and are actively involved in assisting veterans outside of your official duties. A private organization that assists veterans would like to present you with an award for your service to veterans. The organization has given this award for five years and no other awardee has been affiliated with Congress. The organization is aware that you work for the Veterans Affairs Committee, but the decision to present you with the award is mostly based on your service outside the House. The organization has written criteria for determining who should receive the award. The award itself is a crystal bowl and $1,000. You may accept the crystal bowl as a bona fide public service award, but you will need to write to the Committee for formal approval to accept the $1,000.
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