HR 5359119th CongressIn Committee

No Bribes for Politicians Act of 2025

Introduced: Sep 15, 2025

Civil Rights & Justice

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

No Bribes for Politicians Act of 2025, introduced by Representative Harder (CA) and referred to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, would overhaul ethics and disclosure rules for federal officials. The bill would: (a) require biannual (twice-year) financial disclosure reports for covered federal officers and employees starting in 2026; (b) expand financial disclosures to include information about relatives of the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members; (c) prohibit certain business activities by the President and Vice President (and their spouses/dependent children), including ownership of any for-profit interests, use of their name or likeness for profit, and serving in decision-making roles for such firms, with a required divestment within 30 days of taking office; (d) tighten rules on gifts related to presidential duties, by restricting the use of tangible gifts above a minimal value and mandating prompt disposal by agencies; and (e) adjust penalties for noncompliance. The aim is to strengthen transparency and reduce potential avenues for improper influence or “bribes,” particularly involving top executives and their families.

Key Points

1Biannual financial disclosure requirements
2- Starting in 2026, certain federal officers and employees must file disclosures every six months if they meet a 60-day presence threshold in the period; due dates are October 15 (covering Jan 1–Jun 30) and May 15 (covering Jul 1–Dec 30).
3- The disclosures must include information described in the referenced section of the U.S. Code (section 13104(a)).
4Expanded disclosure to relatives of top officials
5- The reporting requirements would extend to the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members, covering information about their relatives.
6- “Relative” is defined broadly to include many family, in-law, and step-relations.
7Gifts related to presidential duties
8- If a tangible gift of more than minimal value is deposited for official use with the agency in connection with presidential duties, it may not be used and must be disposed of promptly by the agency.
9Prohibitions on presidential business activities
10- The President and Vice President may not hold financial interests in any for-profit entity and must divest within 30 days of taking office.
11- The President/VP, and their spouses or dependent children, may not use their name or likeness for profit, nor permit such use by for-profit entities.
12- They may not serve as officers, board members, or hold any other decision-making role in for-profit entities.
13- Retirement accounts are exempt from these prohibitions.
14Penalties and enforcement
15- Civil penalties would explicitly cover violations of these new provisions (adding the new 13147 to the range of enforceable sections).

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- The President, Vice President, Cabinet members, and other covered federal officers/employees subject to 5 U.S.C. 13103/13104 disclosure rules.- Immediate family members of the President and Vice President, and their relatives.Secondary group/area affected- Federal agencies that handle ethics disclosures (e.g., agencies implementing 5 U.S.C. 13103/13104) and the Office of Government Ethics for compliance administration.- Legal and compliance offices within federal agencies responsible for filing, reviewing, and enforcing disclosures and gifting rules.Additional impacts- Administrative burden and cost of preparing and processing biannual disclosures for additional officials and expanded relative disclosures.- Potential changes in behavior by top officials and their families (e.g., divestment decisions, gift handling, avoidance of profit-related use of name/likeness).- Possible legal and constitutional debates or challenges, given the breadth of restrictions on top officials and relatives (not detailed in the bill text but a typical consideration in ethics reform).- Changes to civil penalties to include the new provisions, increasing potential sanctions for noncompliance.

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