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119-hr-6085119th Congress

Stop Ballroom Bribery Act

Sponsored By: Representative Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]

Introduced

Summary

Restricts donations tied to properties used by the President or Vice President. The bill creates approval gates, strict donor limits, required disclosures, a 2-year lobbying cooling-off, and civil and criminal penalties for covered projects and events on those grounds.

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  • Donors and nonprofits: Bars donations from sources involved in litigation, active investigations, federal contracts or grants, executive-branch lobbying, or those seeking pardons or appointments. Straw and anonymous donations are illegal, donor recognition at covered sites is banned, and donors must wait 2 years before targeted lobbying.
  • Approval and transparency: Donations need a written determination by the National Park Service Director and concurrence from the Office of Government Ethics Director, plus submission to key congressional committees and Federal Register notice. Meetings with top officials tied to a donation must be disclosed within 7 days, and the NPS must publish a quarterly list that names donors who gave more than $200 in a quarter.
  • Enforcement: The Office of Government Ethics must issue regulations within 180 days, and civil or criminal actions can seek disgorgement and other relief with a 10-year statute of limitations. Violations can trigger civil penalties and criminal charges, including fines and jail time, with tougher consequences for larger donations.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Penalties and enforcement for illegal donations

If enacted, violations could bring civil penalties up to the greater of $20,000 or the total donations involved, plus disgorgement. If related donations in a year exceed $50,000, civil penalties could reach the greater of $100,000 or the donations total. Knowing, willful violations could bring fines and up to 1 year in prison, or up to 5 years if the annual total exceeds $50,000. State attorneys general and the U.S. Attorney General could sue; courts could issue injunctions and other relief. Most cases would need to start within 10 years. The Office of Government Ethics would issue rules within 180 days and could order return of illegal donations.

After donating, no lobbying or perks

Donor names or logos would not be displayed at covered sites to recognize a gift. Donors would face a two‑year ban on lobbying executive branch officials after giving. No one could convert donated money to private or personal use. Any leftover funds could not directly benefit the President, Vice President, their spouse or child, Executive Office staff, or officers appointed by the President.

Donor meetings must be disclosed publicly

Donors would have to tell the Park Service about any meetings or calls with the President, Vice President, their spouse or child, or federal officials from one year before to one year after the gift. You would list dates and topics. Meetings before the gift must be reported within 7 days after giving; later meetings within 7 days after they occur. The Park Service would publish quarterly reports naming donors, why a gift was accepted, the date, anyone giving over $200 in the quarter, and related meetings. Straw donations and conditioned anonymous gifts would be banned, and some donors would need to attest they are not giving on a barred person’s behalf.

Tighter rules for White House donations

This bill would set who can give to projects tied to the White House, the Vice President’s residence, related events, and certain federal monuments. Agencies would only be able to accept a gift under existing gift laws after a written approval by the National Park Service and the Office of Government Ethics is sent to Congress and published in the Federal Register. Executive Office staff, and the President or Vice President and their spouse or child, would not be allowed to solicit these donations. Gifts would be blocked if the true source is in federal litigation, under investigation, seeking contracts or grants, lobbying the executive branch, or seeking a pardon or appointment. Donations from foreign governments would need Congress’s approval, and coerced or conditioned gifts could not be accepted.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/29/2026

  • Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2026

  • Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/2/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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