Ban on gratuities for public officials.

Removed specific Senate amendments that added exemptions for job offers and expanded the definition of prohibited acts.

Added a new section explicitly defining 'gratuity' and establishing it as a Class A misdemeanor or Level 6 felony depending on value.

Increased the monetary threshold for a felony penalty from $50,000 to $750 for gratuities.

Added exemptions for items under $100, ceremonial items, political contributions, and standard wages.

Updated the effective date context from February 2026 to January 2026, reflecting the bill's return to its original House version.

All text defining 'gratuity' and establishing penalties for offering or accepting payments as rewards for official acts was removed.

The specific statute (IC 35-31.5-2-146.5) creating the crime of providing an unlawful gratuity was deleted.

The definition of 'gratuity' and the list of exemptions (such as items under $100 or ceremonial items) were removed.

The bill now only retains the requirement that commingling at least $50,000 in committee funds with personal funds is a Level 6 felony.

The penalty for commingling funds was adjusted from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B misdemeanor for reckless violations, while keeping the felony enhancement for amounts over $50,000.

New Section 1 establishes that intentionally commingling committee funds with personal funds is a Class A misdemeanor, escalating to a Level 6 felony if the amount is $50,000 or more.

The effective date for the new provisions was set to July 1, 2026, and the digest was updated to reflect the new legal text and amendments.

The digest was updated to include the new offense regarding fund commingling alongside the existing ban on gratuities for public officials.