gift ban
learn more about the Gift Ban Bill HB484!
the PROBLEM:
Currently, there are no limits on what lobbyists can give to public officials in Pennsylvania. Gifts valued at over $250, or $650 for travel, lodging, and hospitality must be reported, but there is no meaningful enforcement for failure to report gifts. Lobbyists use gifts to get what they want from the government and destroy trust between the People and the Legislature. Legislators should be responsive to the will of the public, not gift-giving lobbyists. This blatant corruption is written into our law:
the SOLUTION:
We need to pass a commonsense Gift Ban bill that will forbid lobbyists from bribing our public officials, while providing for commonsense exceptions like gifts from family members and low-value items (like a bottle of water).
BACKGROUND:
From 2001 - 2023, there have been 35 gift ban bills introduced. In 2019, we advanced a Gift Ban through the House State Government Committee for the first time in its history! In 2021, we once again unanimously passed it out of its House Committee. The Gift Ban is yet to see a full vote in the House, or a Senate committee or full Senate vote.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE GIFT BAN:
After six years of the Gift Ban bill being blocked by the legislature’s do-nothing gatekeepers, we’re challenging each legislator to take personal responsibility for fixing Pennsylvania’s corrupt, broken government.
When the current Governor took office, he banned executive branch employees from taking gifts from lobbyists and any other people who want something from the government.
On December 14, 2021, Santa took the Reindeer Express to the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA to tell our state legislators something important: When you get a gift from lobbyists who want something in return, that is NOT a gift. THAT IS A BRIBE!!!
This #GivingTuesday, donate to the democracy movement in Pennsylvania that is making our legislature MOVE on anti-corruption legislation!
The Gift Ban is on the move! On October 25th, the Gift Ban (HB 1009) was unanimously voted out of the House State Government Committee, a crucial first step towards the Gift Ban becoming law. For four years, our volunteers relentlessly marched, lobbied, and engaged in nonviolent direct action to make this win possible, and we're incredibly proud of their hard work.
On October 7th, after months of silence by Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman and his continued failure to bring the Gift Ban to a vote, more than two dozen MarchOnHarrisburg activists from across the state converged at the Toftrees Golf Resort in State College where Sen. Corman was holding one of his annual fundraisers.
Our banners spanning the Capitol steps on June 9th made sure that our legislators, our audience, anyone passing by, and the media couldn’t miss the shameful truth that despite 33 Gift Ban bills being introduced over the past 20 years, our legislature has made the choice over and over to put money and power over the well-being of Pennsylvanians.
When the Gift Ban is signed into law, it will be the culmination of not only years of advocacy by MarchOnHarrisburg, but also by other anti-corruption advocates who demanded action for decades before us. Here’s a look back on the history of the Gift Ban.
On January 27, 2021 close to 150 advocates, allies, lawmakers, and legislative staff joined us during our live, online legislative briefing as we unveiled our 23-policy Money Out, People In Policy Platform.
With only a few days left in the legislation session, we ramped up our Gift Ban campaign the last week of September demanding the bill be called to a vote.
We’re one step closer to passing the next bill on our legislative agenda!
Nonviolent civil disobedience makes it happen! Immediately after two nonviolent direct actions, Speaker Turzai co-sponsored HB 1291: Gift Ban for Public Officials. A major victory in the fight to end corruption in Pennsylvania!