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![handle is hein.gao/gaobadxul0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
DOCUMENT ESURE
02501 - [A1732740]
Proposed Legislative Branch Disclosvire Act of 1977: H.R. 7401.
June 2, 1977. 10 pp. + 2 enclosures (12 pp.).
Testimony before the House Select Committee on Ethics; by Bluer
B. Staats, Comptroller General.
Issue Area: Accounting and Financial Reporting (2800).
Contact: Office of the Comptroller General.
Budget Function: General Government (800).
Organizaticn Concerned: Congress.
congressional Pelevance: House Select Committee on Ethics.
Authority: H.R. 7401 (95th Cong.). H. Res. 2817 95th Cong.). S.
555 (95tt Cong.). S. Res. 110 (95th Cong.).
The proposed Legislative Branch Disclosure Act of
1977 should include a system of enforcement, as well as the
strong code of conduct and public financial disclosure, if the
te..%1- process is to be effective. This is necessary in order to
9gin the respect and confidence of the American public and to
deAl effectively with conflicts of interest.
Findings/Conclusions: The bill would reqire financial
diarlosure staementv to be filed by members of Congress,
candidates for Congress, officers of either House of Congress,
and certain individuals employed by members or committees of
either House of Congress. It would assign the enforcement
responsibility to the Department of Justice and does not put
auditing responsibility on GAO, a situation potentiall7
threatening to the special relationship between 9AO and
Congress. Recommendations: The entire auditing responsibility
should be placed with the Oversight Committee, assisted e..ther
by private auditors or by staff on assignment f-om the Internal
Revenue Service or GAO. Certain privacy safeguards should be
included in the disclosure process. The term principal
assistant to a qember or officer should be further clarified.
The Attorney General should have the authcrity to investigate
allegations of noncompliance on his own initiative. ISC)](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobadxul0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)