Personal Financial Disclosure from Legislators: Gift and Honoraria Requirements

Ethics: Personal Financial Disclosure for Legislators: Gift and Honorarium Requirements

The Center for Ethics in Government - UPDATED March, 2008--reflects statutes in effect as of 12/31/07

This table is intended to provide general information and does not necessarily address all aspects of this topic. Because the facts of each situation may vary, this information may need to be supplemented by consulting legal advisors. It reflects in summary form statutes in effect as of 12/31/07 or statutes set to take effect shortly thereafter.

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AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY | Notes

State/Reference

Gifts and Honoraria Required to be Disclosed

Ala.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Alaska
24.60.080

On a separate form filed with the ethics committee, gifts of travel or legal services worth $250 or more relating to matters of legislative concern, within 30 days of receipt; include name, occupation of the donor, approximate value and general area of legislative concern. These reports are public. In additional annual report to the ethics committee, for all gifts not connected to legislative status: name, occupation of donor, description of gift. This report is confidential, and may only be accessed in an investigation into a possible violation. Legislators must also report to the committee gifts to members of immediate family if he believes it was received because of a connection to the legislator. See also Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Ariz.
38-542

Names of sources giving >$500.

Ark.
21-8-701

Source, date, description, actual value for each >$100, for each >$250 to dependent children. Name, address, date of payment for sources of travel expenses >$150.

Calif.
Government Code
Title 9
Chapter 7
Article 2
87200-87210

Name, address, business activity of source of any worth $50+, amount and date. Travel reimbursements.

Colo.
24-6-202
24-6-203

Sources, actual amounts, dates for gifts >$25 in some cases; >$50 in others. Honoraria. Travel expenses.

Conn.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Del.
Title 29
Part V
Chapter 58
Subchapter II
Section 5813

Sources of any >$250 from one source; actual amounts. Expense reimbursement >$1,000 from one source. Honoraria.

Fla.
Title X
Chapter 112.3144
112.3148
112.3149

On a separate statement, list sources, date, actual value, description of gifts worth >$100. Sources of travel expenses.

Ga.
21-5-50

Sources, actual amounts of honoraria.

Hawaii
84-11-5

Separate annual gift disclosures must be filed if (1) the legislator, his spouse or dependent children received gifts worth more than $200 in a year (2) the source has interests that may be affected by official action (3) the gift is neither from a relative, a campaign contribution, a thing distributed to the public without regard to the official status of the recipient, returned to the giver within 30 days, or part of an equal value exchange on special occasions. Disclosures must include: gift description, value estimate, date of receipt, identity of source. See also Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Idaho

No financial disclosure requirements. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Ill.
5ILCS420/
4A-101

Names of sources of gifts, including honoraria, worth >$500 singly or in aggregate.

Ind.
IC 2-2.1-3-2

Names of sources of single gifts worth >$100; and worth >$250. Gifts from relatives need only be listed if source has substantial interest in a legislative matter.

Iowa

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Kan.
46-229
46-239
46-248

Names of sources of gifts or honoraria >$500.

Ky.
KRS 6.787

Names of sources of gifts worth >$200 to filer or his or her immediate family.

La.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Maine
Title 1
Chapter 25
Subchapter 2
Section 1016-A

Specific source of each gift. Name of sources of honoraria.

Md.
15-601
15-513

Source, nature of gifts worth >$20 singly or >$100 in aggregate when the source is
(1) a business that is regulated by or does business with the state;
(2) a lobbyist.

Mass.

Gifts and honoraria >$100 when the source is a lobbyist or anyone with a direct interest in legislation

Mich.

No financial disclosure requirements, but gifts are prohibited from a source that tends to influence duties, under 15-342. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Minn.

None. But officials are prohibited from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

Miss.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Mo.
105.483
105.485

Names, addresses of sources for gifts, honoraria >$200. Debt forgiveness included. Name, address, date, actual amount, location and nature of services for sources of lodging and travel payments or gifts.

Mont.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Neb.
49-1493-
49-1497

Name, address, occupation of donors of gifts >$100; description of gift; value category; circumstances.

Nev.
281.571-
281.581

Source, actual value of gifts worth >$200 from one donor.

N.H.
Chapter 15-B

Name, address, occipation, place of business of each person who gave a gift or honorarium worth more than $50.

N.J.
Legislative Code of Ethics 2.14
(Rules)

Sources of fees, honoraria, travel expenses or other prepaid expenses. Indicate whether the payer or provider is a profit, nonprofit or governmental entity. Sources of gifts >$250.

N.M.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

N.Y.
Consolidated Laws
Chapter 47
Article 4
Section 73a

Name, address of donor, description, value of gifts >$1,000 from 1 donor. Source, description of expense reimbursement. Nature, source, amounts of honoraria.

N.C. 138A-24(8)

A list of all things of monetary value greater than two hundred dollars ($200.00) given and received without valuable consideration and under circumstances that a reasonable person would conclude that the thing was given for the purpose of lobbying, if such things where given by a person not required to report under Chapter 120C of the General Statutes, or from the person's extended family. The list shall include only those things received during the 12 months preceding the reporting period under subsection (d) of this section, and shall include the source of those things. The list required by this subdivision shall not apply to things of monetary value received by the filing person prior to the time the person filed or was nominated as a candidate for office, as described in G.S. 138A-22, or was appointed or employed as a covered person.

N.D.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Ohio
102.01

Source of gifts >$75, >$25 from lobbyists. Sources, amounts of payments for travel expenses

Okla.
Rule 257:15-1-1

Name, actual value, source of honoraria >$200 above actual expenses.

Ore.
244.050

Name, address, date, actual amount and nature of gift for food, lodging and travel expenses >$100 for an event related to the public office. Source, date, time of event for honoraria >$50.

Pa.
PCS Title 65
Chapter 11

Source name, address, actual amount, occasion for:
(1) gifts >$250 singly or in aggregate.
(2) travel reimbursement >$650 for 1 trip.

R.I.
36-14-1

Names of sources of gifts >$100 singly or in aggregate; description.

S.C.
Article 11
Section 8-13-1110

Sources of reimbursed speaking expenses; actual amount; purpose, date, location. Source, description of gifts:
(1) from anyone who wouldn't have given if receiver did not hold position;
(2) from anyone who may be seeking a business relationship w/ receiver;
(3) worth >$25 in a day or >$200 in a year from someone whose business is regulated by filer's agency.

S.D.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Tenn.
8-50-501

Actual amount and name of sources of private donations for use in defraying costs normally associated with legislative duty.

Texas
Chapter 572

Name of person or firm giving gifts >$250. Names of person giving travel, meal or lodging expenses. Describes manner in which persons may obtain financial statement forms from the commission.

Utah

Utah has unique financial disclosure requirements.

Vt.

No financial disclosure requirements. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Va.
30-111

Payer, value, purpose, type of payment for lodging, travel or other thing of value >$200 for a single talk, meeting or publication. For gifts >$50 singly or >$100 in aggregate, name donor, county or city and state, gift and value; include all gifts assoc. with filer's private business.

Wash.
RCW 42.17.241

Date, donor and amount of food and beverages worth >$50 and other honoraria or travel expenses.

W.Va.
6B-2-6

Sources of gifts >$100 singly or in aggregate from a person who has a direct interest in legislative activity.

Wis.
Subchapter III
19.41

Identity of persons giving gifts >$50. Sources of lodging, travel, money or other pecuniary items.

Wyo.

None. See Gift and Honorarium restrictions.

Notes:

Statutes referenced are the beginning of sections discussing financial disclosure.
This research list states' disclosure requirements. It does not comprehensively list bans states may have on practices other states require to be disclosed. For example, one state may ban honoraria, while another requires legislators to report any they receive. So states with broad reporting requirements shouldn't always be considered to have stricter laws.
Read numbers written "$5,000+" as "at least $5,000," or "$5,000 or more."
States exempt from gift disclosure any given by close relatives or spouses.