RIGHT Act of 2019

Restoring Integrity, Governance, Honesty, and Transparency Act of 2019 or the RIGHT Act of 2019

This bill revises ethics requirements applicable to certain federal government employees.

Specifically, the bill requires

• candidates for President or Vice President to disclose 20 years of tax returns, which the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) may publish after making necessary redactions;
• the disclosure of information regarding contributions to a government official's legal defense fund;
• the OGE to prohibit any executive branch officer or employee from receiving reimbursement for, or payment of, legal fees incurred in connection with executive branch service;
• the Office of Special Counsel to report and recommend disciplinary action for certain ethics violations by an employee of the White House or the Executive Office of the President; and
• travel reports regarding the use of government aircraft to be submitted quarterly and to include an explanation of the decision to use such aircraft and the estimated cost to the government.

The bill prohibits

• the use of federal funds to pay for expenses incurred at a property owned or operated by the President, Vice President, or any federal employee if such payment would result in a financial benefit for such individuals; and
• government contractors from donating to inaugural committees.

The bill further provides that

• executive agencies subject to ethics reporting and disclosure requirements include the Executive Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President, and the White House; and
• restrictions on the employment of relatives include the White House and the Executive Office of the President.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov