Gift Rules

Gift rules are ethics regulations designed to prevent lobbyists and other private interests from using gifts to improperly influence government officials. Both chambers of Congress and the executive branch maintain detailed gift rules. Under current House and Senate rules, members and staff are generally prohibited from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists or entities that employ or retain lobbyists. Exceptions exist for items of nominal value (generally under $50), widely attended events, informational materials, food and refreshments of nominal value, and certain other categories.

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 significantly tightened congressional gift rules by banning most gifts from lobbyists, eliminating the previous practice of accepting meals and entertainment below certain dollar thresholds. Before HLOGA, members and staff could accept meals valued up to $50 and annual gifts totaling up to $100 from any single source. Executive branch employees are governed by separate gift rules under the Standards of Ethical Conduct (5 C.F.R. Part 2635), which generally prohibit accepting gifts from prohibited sources (those seeking official action, doing business with the agency, or regulated by the agency).

Violations of gift rules can result in ethics investigations, fines, and in severe cases, criminal prosecution. The rules aim to maintain public confidence that official decisions are made on the merits rather than in response to personal benefits.