September 13, 2006
TEMPORARY
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING REQUESTS
FOR VOLUNTARY TRAVEL CERTIFICATION
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL MEMBERS, OFFICERS, AND EMPLOYEES
FROM: Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
s/
Doc
s/ Howard L. Berman, Ranking Minority Member
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Earlier this year, the Standards Committee instituted a voluntary procedure for travel certification whereby any private sponsor who wished to provide travel expenses for House Members or staff could seek Committee approval, or certification, of that trip prior to departure. The process was adopted after passage of H.R. 4975, the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, on May 3, 2006. Under the Committee’s certification procedure, trip sponsors are required to provide the Committee with certain information regarding the trip and its participants. More detail on the required information and certification procedure is contained in the Committee’s memorandum dated May 10, 2006, which is available on the Committee website (www.house.gov/ethics).
Due to the upcoming congressional recess, the Committee will temporarily suspend the official voluntary certification process. Thus, any trip sponsor wishing to receive formal, written certification of a trip for House Members or staff must submit a request for certification containing all required information no later than Friday, September 22, 2006. Any request for review received after that date will be given informal review by Committee staff, but a formal, written trip certification will not be provided. Any Member who requires that a trip sponsor seek formal, written certification of a trip should ensure that the trip sponsor is aware of the upcoming deadline. Requests for review may be faxed to the Committee at 5-7392.
Any questions on this subject should be directed to the Committee’s Office of Advice and Education at 5-7103.