15 1 of any employee involved in such reproduction or mailing. 2 The Comptroller General may furnish any copy of such 3 report without charge or at a reduced charge if he deter4 mines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public 5 interest because furnishing the information can be considered 6 as primarily benefiting the public. 7 (c) (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to inspect or 8 obtain a copy of any report 9 10 11 172 13 31 14 (B) to determine or establish the credit rating of any individual; or (C) for use directly or indirectly in the solicitation of money for any political, charitable, or other purpose. (2) The Attorney General may bring a civil action 15 in any district court of the United States against any per16 son who inspects or obtains such report for any purpose 17 prohibited in paragraph (1). The court in which such ac18 tion is brought may assess against such individual a penalty 19 in any amount not to exceed $1,000. 20 (d) Any report received by the Comptroller General 21 shall be held in his custody and made available to the public 22 for a period of five years after receipt by the Comptroller 23 General of such report. After such five-year period, the 24 Comptroller General shall destroy any such report. 25 (e) The House of Representatives, the Senate, the 16 1 Director of the Administrative Office of the United States 2 Courts, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and 3 the head of each agency shall make provisions to assure that 4 each report shall be reviewed in accordance with any law or 5 regulation with respect to conflicts of interest or confidential 6 financial information of officers or employees of the House of 7 Representatives, the Senate, the United States courts or cach 8 such agency or in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be prescribed. 9 10 (f) (1) The Comptroller General shall, under such regu11 lations as he may prescribe, conduct on a random basis audits 12 of approximately 5 per centum of the reports filed with him 13 under section 5 (a) (1). 14 (2) The Comptroller General shall audit during each 15 term of an individual holding the office of President or Vice 16 President at least onc report filed by such individual under 17 section 5 (a) (1) during such term. 18 (3) The Comptroller General shall, during each six19 year period beginning after the date of enactment of this 20 Act, audit at least one report filed by each Member of the 21 Senate and the House of Representatives during such six22 year period. 23 (4) (A) In conducting an audit under paragraph (1), 24 (2), or (3), the Comptroller General is authorized to re25 quire by subpena the production of books, papers, and other 17 5 6 1 documents. All such subpenas shall be issued and signed by 2 the Comptroller General. 3 (B) In case of a refusal to comply with a subpena 4 issued under subparagraph (A) – (i) the Comptroller General is authorized to seek an order by any district court of the United States hav 7 8 ing jurisdiction of the defendant to require the production of the documents involved; and 9 10 11 (ii) such district court may issue such order and enforce it by contempt proceedings. RECOMMENDATION ON FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 12 SEC. 8. The Civil Service Commission and the Depart13 ment of Justice shall each analyze regulations and proce14 dures presently in effect with regard to financial conflicts of interest among employees of the Federal Government and 16 recommend to the appropriate committees of Congress for 17 their consideration such legislation as may be necessary. 18 Such reports shall be delivered within six months of the 21 SEPARABILITY SEC. 9. If any part of this Act is held invalid, the 22 remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby. If any 23 provision of any part of this Act, or the application thereof 24 to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the provisions 25 of other parts and their application to other persons or 26 circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 18 AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 1 2 SEC. 10. There are authorized to be appropriated such 3 sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this 4 Act. 5 6 DATE DUE FOR FIRST REPORT SEC. 11. The first report required by this Act shall be 7 due ninety days after the date of the enactment of this 8 Act. 95TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2619 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 27, 1977 Mr. PATTERSON of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To require candidates for Federal office, Members of the Congress, and officers and employees of the United States to file statements with the Comptroller General with respect to their income and financial transactions. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 4 SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Financial 5 Disclosure Act". I-O |