GARD Act Expands Foreign Gift Reporting to Political Candidates, Imposes Ban on Gifts from 'Countries of Concern'

The Gift Accountability, Reporting, and Disclosures Act, or GARD Act, is essentially an update to the federal government’s rulebook on foreign gifts, making it broader, stricter, and much more transparent. If you’re a federal employee or running for office, this bill is rewriting the rules on what you can accept and what you must report. It expands the list of people required to disclose foreign gifts to include candidates for President, Vice President, and Congress. It also broadens the definition of who counts as a dependent—meaning any “relative” of the employee is now included—and explicitly bans employees from accepting any gift from a country designated as a “country of concern” by the Secretary of State.

The Transparency Overhaul

For most people, the biggest change here is the push for public access. Within 120 days of this bill becoming law, agencies must update their systems to make all foreign gift listings publicly searchable online. Think of it like the financial disclosure reports you can already look up, but specifically for foreign gifts. This is a huge win for transparency, allowing the public to easily track potential foreign influence on both sitting officials and those seeking office. It shifts the reporting deadline for employees from January 31st to May 15th, which might give busy federal workers a little breathing room after the holidays, but it also demands much more detail in the report itself.

The Fine Print: Valuation and Penalties

If you’re a federal employee receiving a gift, the reporting requirements just got a lot more specific. You’ll need to provide better estimates of the gift’s value, using retail prices or appraisals to determine the fair market value in the U.S. You also have to track the gift’s final destination with an inventory number and a category (like “Purchased by recipient” or “Retained for official use”). This is aimed at eliminating vague reporting. On the flip side, the bill introduces a mandatory $200 late fee if an employee files their statement 30 days past the new May 15th deadline. While agencies can waive this fee for “good reason,” it puts a real financial penalty on non-compliance, which shows they mean business about timely disclosure.

The Country of Concern Conundrum

The most straightforward and potentially impactful provision is the outright prohibition on accepting gifts from any “country of concern.” This provision gives the Secretary of State significant power to draw a clear line in the sand regarding which nations’ gifts are off-limits to federal employees. While the intent is clearly to protect national security and ethical standards, the designation process itself could become a point of diplomatic friction or political debate. For employees who might interact regularly with foreign dignitaries, this provision adds a new layer of scrutiny and risk assessment to every interaction, ensuring that even a seemingly innocuous souvenir from a designated country could land them in hot water.