Sponsors (6)
The bill strengthens anti-corruption enforcement and taxpayer protections by expanding bribery offenses and penalties, but does so at the cost of broader criminal exposure, higher incarceration impacts, and increased compliance and legal costs for individuals and organizations.
Taxpayers, government agencies, and the public: the bill criminalizes significant bribery tied to sizable transactions (targeting $5,000+ transactions) and penalizes both giving and receiving of bribes, which should reduce corruption in procurement and public programs and improve government accountability.
People who interact with government or organizational agents: stronger criminal penalties and clearer liability for offerers and recipients increase deterrence against bribery, potentially lowering incidents of corrupt deals.
Agents of organizations and officials: a new $1,000 threshold for offers/acceptances risks criminalizing lower-value interactions that were often handled administratively, likely increasing prosecutions, legal risk, and compliance burdens for many people.
Defendants, their families, and taxpayers: individuals convicted under the expanded offenses face much longer prison terms (up to 15 years), increasing harms to defendants and families and raising incarceration costs borne in part by taxpayers.
Organizations and contractors: expanded criminal liability for both offerers and accepting agents increases compliance costs, legal exposure, and administrative burden for contractors and public-sector partners.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Amends 18 U.S.C. §666 to add a gratuities crime (≥$1,000 tied to transactions ≥$5,000) and raises the maximum prison term from 10 to 15 years.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the offense pertaining to illegal gratuities concerning programs receiving Federal funds.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by Daniel Goldman · Last progress June 26, 2025
Amends federal bribery/embezzlement statute 18 U.S.C. §666 to create a new gratuities offense and strengthen penalties: it raises the maximum prison term from 10 to 15 years and adds a separate crime for knowingly giving, offering, promising, or accepting anything of value of $1,000 or more tied to an official act connected to any business or transaction of $5,000 or more. The change applies to agents of organizations and agents of State, local, or Indian Tribal governments and adjusts cross-references so the enhanced applicability and penalties cover both the existing and new provisions. The bill focuses narrowly on expanded criminal liability and tougher penalties for certain gratuities and corrupt exchanges involving public- and organization-agents; it does not create new programs, appropriate funds, or change tax or administrative rules.