HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1630        FILED ON: 2/10/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3240

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Erika Uyterhoeven and Maria Duaime Robinson

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to close travel loophole in the state conflict of interest law, and to provide for greater transparency and accountability regarding travel gifts.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

2/10/2021

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/10/2021

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

3/19/2021

Steven C. Owens

29th Middlesex

4/2/2021

Carol A. Doherty

3rd Bristol

4/2/2021

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

4/7/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1630        FILED ON: 2/10/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3240

By Representatives Uyterhoeven of Somerville and Robinson of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3240) of Erika Uyterhoeven, Maria Duaime Robinson and others relative to the state conflict of interest law and travel gifts.  State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act to close travel loophole in the state conflict of interest law, and to provide for greater transparency and accountability regarding travel gifts.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 3(f) of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268A is hereby amended by inserting immediately before the end of subsection (iv) the following: "; provided, however, that no exclusion shall be established for travel expenses paid or reimbursed by an organization that, for the year in

which the travel commences, is registered with the State Secretary as a Client under the Massachusetts Lobbying Law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3 Sections 39 and 41."

SECTION 2. The State Ethics Commission shall maintain, and make available to any member of the public upon request, a remotely accessible electronic data base of all travel expense disclosure forms filed by elected public officials as required by the Commission's regulations at 930 CMR 5.00. The electronic data base shall be searchable by name of the elected public official filing the disclosure.

SECTION 3. The State Ethics Commission shall revise the travel expense disclosure form filed by elected public officials to include whether the official has, within the 12 months prior to the commencement of travel, been the subject of legislative lobbying by the organization paying his or her travel

expenses with respect to legislation filed with the General Court. For the purposes of this Section 3, the terms "legislative lobbying" and "legislation" shall have the meanings given them by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3 Section 39.