HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania state lawmakers are taking another step to ban cash gifts after recent allegations that several House members accepted cash from a confidential informant in a criminal investigation.
The Senate State Government Committee approved a bill Tuesday to punish government officials and employees for accepting cash gifts from anyone seeking to influence public policy. It goes to the full Senate.
It would apply to cash, check, money orders, prepaid cards, gift certificates and gift cards. Accepting a gift of $250 or more would be a felony.
House leaders last week imposed a ban on cash gifts to the chamber’s members and employees.
Current law lets Pennsylvania lawmakers and the governor accept any amount of gifts, dinners, trips, event tickets and the like from anyone, although it might violate conflict-of-interest laws.
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