Closing Bribery Loopholes Act

This legislation, titled the Closing Bribery Loopholes Act, aims to strengthen federal bribery laws by amending the definition of an "official act" under title 18 of the U.S. Code. The bill clarifies that an official act encompasses any action within a public official's duty, including decisions, recommendations, or actions on matters pending before them.

A significant change is the explicit inclusion of pardons, commutations, reprieves, or offers of such actions within the scope of an official act. Furthermore, the amendment specifies that an official act can be comprised of a single act, multiple acts, or a course of conduct. This clarification ensures that an official act is considered to have occurred whether or not it successfully achieves a desired outcome, thereby broadening the scope of prosecutable bribery conduct.