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H.R. 371: Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017

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H.R. 371: Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-09 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-09 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017

Plain summary

Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017 This bill requires the President and Vice President to submit to Congress and the Office of Government Ethics a disclosure of financial interests. Among the contents of such disclosure, the President and Vice President shall: (1) include a detailed description of each financial interest of the President and Vice President, the spouse of the President and Vice President, or a minor child of the President and Vice President; and (2) include the tax returns filed by or on behalf of the President and Vice President for the three most recent taxable years. The President, the Vice President, the spouse of the President or Vice President, and any minor child of the President or Vice President must divest any financial interest posing a potential conflict of interest by transferring such interest to a qualified blind trust. Within a reasonable period of time after such financial interest is transferred to a qualified blind trust, the trustee of such trust shall: (1) sell the financial interest; and (2) use the proceeds from the sale of the financial interest to purchase conflict-free holdings. The Office of Government Ethics shall submit to Congress, the President, and the Vice President an annual report regarding the financial interests of such officials, their spouses, and any of their minor children. The Attorney General, the attorney general of any state, or any person aggrieved by a violation of divestiture requirements posing a potential conflict of interest may seek declaratory or injunctive relief if: (1) the Office of Government Ethics is unable to issue a report indicating whether the President or Vice President is in substantial compliance with such divestiture requirements; or (2) there is probable cause to believe the President or the Vice President has not complied with such requirements. The bill amends the federal criminal code to require the recusal of presidential appointees from decisions affecting the financial holdings of a President or the spouse of a President. Prohibitions pertaining to contracts entered into by Members of Congress are extended to contracts by the President or Vice President. The bill amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the disclosure of tax returns by the incumbent President and presidential nominees of a major political party for the three most recent taxable years. The bill declares the sense of Congress that a violation of the divestiture requirements of this bill or the Ethics in Government in Government Act of 1978 by the President or the Vice President would constitute a high crime or misdemeanor.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] · 155 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Mike Quigley (D-IL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), William R. Keating (D-MA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), James P. McGovern (D-MA), André Carson (D-IN), Mark Takano (D-CA) and 95 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] reported raising $5.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr371 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115