Lobbying Disclosure and Ethics Proposals Related to Lobbying Introduced in the 109th Congress: A Comparative Analysis

Publication Date: March 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Politics

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Abstract:

The regulation of lobbying activities by lobbyists, and the actions that certain members of the executive branch and legislative branch may take in their interactions with lobbyists, are governed by laws and congressional rules. Several proposals to revise these laws and congressional rules with regard to lobbying activities and the disclosure of such activities by lobbyists and Members of Congress have been introduced in the 109th Congress.

In the House, these measures include H.R. 4975, the Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006; H.R. 4948, the Ethics Reform Act of 2006; H.R. 4920, the Accountability and Transparency in Ethics Act; H.R. 4799, to establish a legislative branch office of public integrity; H.R. 4787, the Truth-in-Lobbying Disclosure Act; H.R. 4738, the Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress Act of 2006; H.R. 4696, the Restoring Trust in Government Act; H.R. 4682, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006; H.R. 4671 the Keep Lobbying Clean Act; H.R. 4670, the Clarity in Lobbying Act; H.R. 4667, the Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006; H.R. 4658, to prohibit former Members of Congress from engaging in certain lobbying activities; H.R. 4575, the Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005; H.R. 3623, to increase to five years the period during which former Members of Congress may not engage in certain lobbying activities; the Lobby Gift Ban Act of 2005; H.R. 2412, the Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005, introduced by Representative Martin Meehan; H.R. 1302 and H.R. 1304, both entitled the Stealth Lobbyist Disclosure Act of 2005; and H.Res. 81, directing the Clerk of the House to post on the Internet all lobbying registrations and reports filed with the Clerk under Lobbying and Disclosure Act. On February 1, 2006, the House adopted H.Res. 648 amending House Rules to deny admittance to the House floor and certain House facilities to former Members who lobby.

Measures related to lobbying issues introduced in the Senate include S. 2349, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006; S. 2265, the Pork Barrel Reduction Act; S. 2261, the Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act of 2006; S. 2259, the Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act of 2006; S. 2233, the Lobbyist Reform Act of 2006; S. 2186, the Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress Act of 2006; S. 2180, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006; S. 2128, the Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005; S. 1972, the Terrorist Lobby Disclosure Act of 2005; and S. 1398, the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2005.

This report, which will be updated as events warrant, provides context, comparison, discussion, and analysis of the issues addressed in the legislative proposals that have been introduced in the 109th Congress to address lobbying disclosure and related laws and congressional rules. For further information, see the CRS Current Legislative Issues page on Lobbying, Ethics and Related Procedural Reform at [http://beta.crs.gov/cli/cli.aspx?PRDS_CLI_ITEM_ID=2405].