Thursday, February 22, 2007

House Ethics Committee Issues Travel Guidelines

This week the House ethics committee issued guidelines concerning the process to obtain pre-approval of privately sponsored travel. Forms will have to be filled out explaining how each trip is considered to be official business. The sponsor paying for the trip will have to confirm that expenses are not related to personal activities. The new rules touted as strict, are now expanded once more in these new guidelines. A second night's stay is allowed in some cases if found necessary depending on practicality or transportation availability. A lobbyist can also be involved in a trip if it is "a one-day event trip and the involvement of a lobbyist in planning, organizing, requesting, or arranging the trip is de minimis, meaning only negligible or otherwise inconsequential in terms of time and expense to the overall planning and purpose of the trip." The new guidelines take effect March 1. The article in The Hill can be read here

Posted by Amanda Adams