SB 66 — An Act amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in ethics standards and financial disclosure, further providing for definitions, for restricted activities and for penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   27

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                             SENATE BILL
                             No. 66
                                                    Session of
                                                      2025

     INTRODUCED BY BAKER, PENNYCUICK, PHILLIPS-HILL, FONTANA AND
        COSTA, JANUARY 22, 2025

     REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 22, 2025


                                         AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in ethics standards and financial
 3      disclosure, further providing for definitions, for restricted
 4      activities and for penalties.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.         Section 1102 of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding definitions to read:
 9   § 1102.    Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
11   shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
12   meanings given to them in this section:
13      * * *
14      "Cash gift."
15             (1)   Any of the following:
16                   (i)    United States or foreign currency.
17                   (ii)    A money order.
18                   (iii)    A check.
19                   (iv)    A prepaid debit or credit card.
 1                (v)    A gift card or certificate.
 2                (vi)    Virtual currency.
 3          (2)   The term does not include:
 4                (i)    An expenditure or other transaction subject to
 5          reporting under Article XVI of the act of June 3, 1937
 6          (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election
 7          Code.
 8                (ii)    A commercial loan made in the ordinary course
 9          of business.
10                (iii)    A transaction involving reasonable
11          consideration of equal or greater value.
12                (iv)    A cash gift from a parent, sibling, spouse,
13          child, stepchild, stepparent, stepsibling, grandparent,
14          grandchild, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law or other close
15          relative when the circumstances make it clear that the
16          motivation for the action was a personal or family
17          relationship.
18                (v)    A cash gift available to the public or offered
19          to members of a group or class in which membership is not
20          related to being a public official or public employee.
21                (vi)    An award or prize given to competitors in any
22          contest or event open to the public, including random
23          drawings.
24      "Commercial loan made in the ordinary course of business."        A
25   loan from a bank or other financial institution on terms
26   generally available to the public.
27      * * *
28      "Lobbyist."      An individual, association, corporation,
29   partnership, business trust or other entity that is registered
30   as a lobbyist under Chapter 13A (relating to lobbying

20250SB0066PN0027                     - 2 -
 1   disclosure).
 2      * * *
 3      "Official action."        An administrative action or legislative
 4   action, as those terms are defined in section 13A03.
 5      * * *
 6      "Principal."        An individual, association, corporation,
 7   partnership, business trust or other entity that is registered
 8   as a principal under Chapter 13A.
 9      * * *
10      "Virtual currency."        A digital representation of value that:
11             (1)   Is used as a medium of exchange, unit of account or
12      store of value.
13             (2)   Is not legal tender, whether or not denominated in
14      legal tender.
15      Section 2.         Sections 1103 and 1109 of Title 65 are amended by
16   adding subsections to read:
17   § 1103.    Restricted activities.
18      * * *
19      (k)    Cash gifts.--A public official or public employee may
20   not accept or solicit a cash gift from any of the following:
21             (1)   A lobbyist or principal.
22             (2)   A person seeking official action from the public
23      official or public employee.
24   § 1109.    Penalties.
25      * * *
26      (a.1)    Cash gifts.--
27             (1)   A person who intentionally violates the provisions
28      of section 1103(k) involving:
29                   (i)    An amount of less than $250 commits a
30             misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to

20250SB0066PN0027                        - 3 -
 1        pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and, if
 2        payment of the fine and costs is not timely made, to
 3        imprisonment for not more than two years.
 4              (ii)   An amount of $250 or more commits a felony and
 5        shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not
 6        more than $10,000 plus costs or to imprisonment for not
 7        more than five years, or both.
 8        (2)   The fine and penalty imposed under this section
 9    shall be paid into the General Fund.
10    * * *
11    Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250SB0066PN0027                  - 4 -