Code of Official Conduct

RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – 118th CONGRESS

RULE 23—CODE OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT

There is hereby established by and for the House the following code of conduct, to be known as the ‘‘Code of Official Conduct’’:

1. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.

2. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall adhere to the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House and to the rules of duly constituted committees thereof.

3. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not receive compensation and may not permit compensation to accrue to the beneficial interest of such individual from any source, the receipt of which would occur by virtue of influence improperly exerted from the position of such individual in Congress.

4. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not accept gifts except as provided by clause 5 of rule 25.

5. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not accept an honorarium for a speech, a writing for publication, or other similar activity, except as otherwise provided under rule 25.

6. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner—

(a) shall keep the campaign funds of such individual separate from the personal funds of such individual;

(b) may not convert campaign funds to personal use in excess of an amount representing reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures; and

(c) except as provided in clause 1(b) of rule 24, may not expend funds from a campaign account of such individual that are not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes.

7. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner shall treat as campaign contributions all proceeds from testimonial dinners or other fund-raising events.

8. (a) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, or officer of the House may not retain an employee who does not perform duties for the offices of the employing authority commensurate with the compensation such employee receives.

(b) In the case of a committee employee who works under the direct supervision of a member of the committee other than a chair, the chair may require that such member affirm in writing that the employee has complied with clause 8(a) (subject to clause 9 of rule 10) as evidence of compliance by the chair with this clause and with clause 9 of rule X.

(c)(1) Except as specified in subparagraph (2)—

(A) a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not retain the relative of such individual in a paid position; and

(B) an employee of the House may not accept compensation for work for a committee on which the relative of such employee serves as a member.

(2) Subparagraph (1) shall not apply in the case of a relative whose pertinent employment predates the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.

(3) As used in this paragraph, the term ‘‘relative’’ means an individual who is related to the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner as parent, child, sibling, parent’s sibling, first cousin, sibling’s child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, or grandchild.

9. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not discharge and may not refuse to hire an individual, or otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of the race, color, religion, sex (including marital or parental status), sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or national origin of such individual, including by committing an act of sexual harassment against such individual, but may take into consideration the domicile or political affiliation of such individual.

10. (a) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who has been convicted by a court of record for the commission of a crime for which a sentence of two or more years’ imprisonment may be imposed should refrain from participation in the business of each committee of which such individual is a member, and a Member should refrain from voting on any question at a meeting of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, unless or until judicial or executive proceedings result in reinstatement of the presumption of the innocence of such Member or until the Member is reelected to the House after the date of such conviction.

(b) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who has been indicted for or otherwise formally charged with criminal conduct in any Federal, State, or local court punishable as a felony for which a sentence of two or more years’ imprisonment may be imposed should resign from any standing, select, joint or ad hoc committee, and any subcommittee thereof, on which such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner serves, and should step aside from any party caucus or conference leadership position such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner holds, unless or until judicial or executive proceedings result in acquittal or the charges are dismissed or reduced to less than a felony as described in this paragraph.

11. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not authorize or otherwise allow an individual, group, or organization not under the direction and control of the House to use the words ‘‘Congress of the United States,’’ ‘‘House of Representatives,’’ or ‘‘Official Business,’’ or any combination of words thereof, on any letterhead or envelope.

12. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), an employee of the House who is required to file a report under rule 26 may not participate personally and substantially as an employee of the House in a contact with an agency of the executive or judicial branches of Government with respect to non-legislative matters affecting any nongovernmental person in which the employee has a significant financial interest.

(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply if an employee first advises the employing authority of such employee of a significant financial interest described in paragraph (a) and obtains from such employing authority a written waiver stating that the participation of the employee in the activity described in paragraph (a) is necessary. A copy of each such waiver shall be filed with the Committee on Ethics.

13. Before a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may have access to classified information, the following oath (or affirmation) shall be executed:

‘‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not disclose any classified information received in the course of my service with the House of Representatives, except as authorized by the House of Representatives or in accordance with its Rules.’’

Copies of the executed oath (or affirmation) shall be retained as part of the records of the House, in the case of a Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner, by the Clerk, and in the case of an officer or employee of the House, by the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Clerk shall make the signatories a matter of public record, causing the names of each Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who has signed the oath during a week (if any) to be published in a portion of the Congressional Record designated for that purpose on the last legislative day of the week and making cumulative lists of such names available each day for public inspection in an appropriate office of the House.

14. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not, with the intent to influence on the basis of partisan political affiliation an employment decision or employment practice of any private entity—

(a) take or withhold, or offer or threaten to take or withhold, an official act; or

(b) influence, or offer or threaten to influence, the official act of another.

15. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not use personal funds, official funds, or campaign funds for a flight on an aircraft.

(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply if—

(1) the aircraft is operated by an air carrier or commercial operator certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the flight is required to be conducted under air carrier safety rules, or, in the case of travel which is abroad, by an air carrier or commercial operator certificated by an appropriate foreign civil aviation authority and the flight is required to be conducted under air carrier safety rules;

(2) the aircraft is owned or leased by a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner or a family member of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner (including an aircraft owned by an entity that is not a public corporation in which the Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner or a family member of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner has an ownership interest, provided that such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner does not use the aircraft any more than the Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, or family member’s proportionate share of ownership allows);

(3) the flight consists of the personal use of an aircraft by a Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner that is supplied by—

(A) an individual on the basis of personal friendship; or

(B) another Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner;

(4) the aircraft is operated by an entity of the Federal government or an entity of the government of any State; or

(5) the owner or operator of the aircraft is paid a pro rata share of the fair market value of the normal and usual charter fare or rental charge for a comparable plane of comparable size as determined by dividing such cost by the number of Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner, officers, or employees of Congress on the flight.

(c) An advance written request for a waiver of the restriction in paragraph (a) may be granted jointly by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ethics, subject to such conditions as they may prescribe.

(d) In this clause—

(1) the term ‘‘campaign funds’’ includes funds of any political committee under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, without regard to whether the committee is an authorized committee of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner involved under such Act;

(2) the term ‘‘family member’’ means an individual who is related to the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, as parent, child, sibling, spouse, or parent-in-law; and

(3) the term ‘‘on the basis of personal friendship’’ has the same meaning as in clause 5 of rule 25 and shall be determined as under clause 5(a)(3)(D)(ii) of rule 25.

16. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not condition the inclusion of language to provide funding for a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit in any bill or joint resolution (or an accompanying report) or in any conference report on a bill or joint resolution (including an accompanying joint explanatory statement of managers) on any vote cast by another Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner. For purposes of this clause and clause 17, the terms ‘‘congressional earmark,’’ ‘‘limited tax benefit,’’ and ‘‘limited tariff benefit’’ shall have the meanings given them in clause 9 of rule 21.

17. (a) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who requests a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit in any bill or joint resolution (or an accompanying report) or in any conference report on a bill or joint resolution (or an accompanying joint statement of managers) shall provide a written statement to the chair and ranking minority member of the committee of jurisdiction, including—

(1) the name of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner;

(2) in the case of a congressional earmark, the name and address of the intended recipient or, if there is no specifically intended recipient, the intended location of the activity;

(3) in the case of a limited tax or tariff benefit, identification of the individual or entities reasonably anticipated to benefit, to the extent known to the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner;

(4) the purpose of such congressional earmark or limited tax or tariff benefit; and

(5) a certification that the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner or spouse has no financial interest in such congressional earmark or limited tax or tariff benefit.

(b) Each committee shall maintain the information transmitted under paragraph (a), and the written disclosures for any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits included in any measure reported by the committee or conference report filed by the chair of the committee or any subcommittee thereof shall be open for public inspection.

18. (a) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under the supervision of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, or who is an employee of a committee on which the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner serves. This paragraph does not apply with respect to any relationship between two people who are married to each other.

(b) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not engage in unwelcome sexual advances or conduct towards another Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House.

(c) In this clause, the term ‘‘employee’’ includes an applicant for employment, a paid or unpaid intern (including an applicant for an internship), a detailee, and an individual participating in a fellowship program.

19. (a) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not serve as an officer or director of any public company.

(b) In paragraph (a), the term ‘public company’ means an issuer as defined in section 3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c)—

(1) the securities of which are required to be registered under section 12 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 78l); or

(2) that is required to file reports under section 15(d) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 78o(d)).

(c) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall comply with regulations issued and revised, as necessary, by the Committee on Ethics regarding types of prohibited service or positions that could lead to conflicts of interest.

20. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not, directly or indirectly, take any actions to prevent any individual from or retaliate against any individual for providing truthful information to the Committee on Ethics, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, or any law enforcement official, provided that the disclosure of such information is not otherwise prohibited by law or House rules.

21. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall not knowingly and willfully disclose publicly the identity of, or personally identifiable information about, any individual who has reported allegations of possible wrongdoing, including retaliation, under processes and protections provided by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998, or any other Federal law that establishes the right for individuals to make protected disclosures to Congress.

(b) The limitation in paragraph (a) shall not apply to any disclosure of an individual’s identity or personally identifiable information if—

(1) the individual has provided express written consent prior to such disclosure;

(2) the individual has already voluntarily and publicly disclosed their identity; or

(3) the disclosure is by the chair of a committee after an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the members of the committee that such disclosure is in the public interest.

(c) Nothing in this clause shall prevent—

(1) an investigation of any allegation of wrongdoing disclosed by any individual; or

(2) the public disclosure of substantive information shared by any individual that is not personally identifiable to that individual.

(d) Disclosures made pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) shall be subject to appropriate safeguards, including that the individual be provided timely advance notice if possible before their identity or any personally identifiable information is disclosed prior to the vote described in paragraph (b)(3), unless such information would jeopardize the related investigations. When providing such notice to the individual the committee chair shall send the individual a written explanation of the reasons for the disclosure.

22. (a) In this Code of Official Conduct, the term ‘‘officer or employee of the House’’ means an individual whose compensation is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer.

(b) An individual whose services are compensated by the House pursuant to a consultant contract shall be considered an employee of the House for purposes of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 13 of this rule. An individual whose services are compensated by the House pursuant to a consultant contract may not lobby the contracting committee or the members or staff of the contracting committee on any matter. Such an individual may lobby other Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner or staff of the House on matters outside the jurisdiction of the contracting committee. In the case of such an individual who is a member or employee of a firm, partnership, or other business organization, the other members and employees of the firm, partnership, or other business organization shall be subject to the same restrictions on lobbying that apply to the individual under this paragraph.