January 23, 2017 •
Federal Bill Introduced Tying Ethics to State Administration of Federal Block Grant Programs
U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee has introduced legislation requiring ethical guidelines be followed by states before those states be allowed to administer certain federal funds.
House Bill 0554, The Make State Government More Open, Honest, and Transparent Act, suspends the authority of a state to administer funds under federal block grant programs if the state does not enact certain conflict of interest protections. These include banning state contractors from making state financial contributions, prohibiting state legislators from requiring their staff make political contributions, and requiring state legislators to annually disclose their own financial interests.
“My legislation is simple: it raises the bar for states to be more open and transparent with their constituents so that we can begin to restore public trust in government,” Kildee said in his press release.
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